No Vacancy
by chinarai
Summary: Together they formed the oddest mix to ever be put in a car to go on a road trip after graduation, and by chance, love ensued.
1. i

Me, nervously looking at all the works I posted and haven't updated in months: HEY

How are you doing? I'm hoping you've been okay. I mentioned this story a few times on _Brilliance_ and only found the will to post it now. Apologies for those waiting to see updates on _askshikasaku;_ next week I'll be free for sure once all my tests are over, and hopefully everything will go well until the year is over. Still, feel free to send asks; I only have one in the askbox right now.

Anyways, this is an AU. I think you've all noticed by now that I draw inspiration from things that happened to me. Well, some very specific things in this piece did happen. The most important one is the place in which the first segment, so to say, takes place. If you want to better visualize what where they are, you can look up _Hotel Pontal do Ocaporã_ and _Porto de Galinhas_ on google. I've been to that place once and it was my favorite trip so far. Also, the name comes from a song by _OneRepublic_ of the same name.

I'm breaking this work up in chapters instead of posting it all in one go because I'm an anxious little shit and I don't want to wait until I'm 100% done with it. Plus, you'll get to read it slowly instead of reading it all in one go.

Have I mentioned that I'm working on a new fanfic? LMAO

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think.

* * *

 **i**

* * *

Kakashi was a good driver. The turn signal was no mystery to him and he never exceeded the speed limit. In fact, because of that, they always arrived late when he offered to drive them anywhere, but today there was no rush to get to their destination, although Sakura begged to differ. Sharing a backseat with Sai and Naruto, the latter of which was wildly gesticulating as he held a one-sided argument with the other party was grating on her nerves. Sai did not grace him with all of his attention, too focused as he was on the sketchbook in his hands, but he said just the right things to get Naruto going for weeks.

She had popped her earphones in a long time ago and was going through her entire library of songs on her iPod in an attempt to drown them out. Kakashi was calmly bobbing his head to the sound of classic rock music playing on the car radio, easily ignoring the blonde, and Yamato was studying the map to give him the right directions. With her chin propped on her palm and eyes looking at the speeding scenery outside, Sakura could only hope the road trip would reach its end soon.

Naruto's and Sakura's parents were neighbors and therefore the two grew up together. Kakashi was a friend of his father and so he was always around, knew them from a young age and was their teacher in a few classes they shared in college. Sai was Yamato's son, who in turn was one of Kakashi's friends and one of their teachers from one of the many courses they took. Together they formed the oddest mix to ever be put in a car to go on a road trip after graduation, especially considering that they barely knew Sai and that their other close friend had chosen to travel somewhere else with his other friends instead. It was okay, though, because everyone needed some time away from him for different reasons.

The older they got, the more she realized that Sasuke might not be able to give her the attention she craved, especially when she had made moves on him before and he had turned her down each time. After a while, you just realize that the friendship will never progress and you have to give up before it deteriorates, and she would rather keep him as a friend and let go of her feelings than to have him turn his back on her. It had been years since she decided not to pursue anything anymore, and now he was officially out of her reach. Not that she minded, though; really, she should have seen that coming.

As for Naruto, they just engaged in too many fights and she was not going to patch them up if they decided to wrestle on the beach.

Kakashi changed lanes to overtake the white car ahead. At least, that was what she thought he was trying to do, because in the end, both cars were moving side by side at the same speed. He had engaged in a talk with Yamato as they discussed if they should stop for a bathroom break or to have a snack, and Sakura was left to stare at the sedan beside them, trying not to punch Naruto into next week if he elbowed her once again.

Whatever violent thoughts that were in her mind in that moment disappeared once she caught sight of the driver and effectively ignored everyone else. His profile was simply perfect. A sharp jaw and a straight nose with a pair of sunglasses perched on top. Dark hair gathered in a ponytail. A smirk playing on his lips as he talked to the person on the passenger seat. She fought the urge to roll down the window or to press her face against the glass. He seemed so handsome from a distance; she wondered if he was just as much from up close.

"Kakashi, are you trying to get the car to race us or what?"

Their teacher and friend noticed what he meant and stepped on the gas, going fast enough to successfully overtake the white sedan and returned to the same lane it was cruising. Sakura twisted around on her seat to look at the occupants of the car. A bearded man sat beside the one she had been checking out, both of them laughing at something. Dejectedly, she sat back down and punched her best friend on the arm for ruining her sight.

* * *

The hotel they were staying in was beautiful with lush vegetation and wood paths that led to different places. Their apartment had three rooms, two bathrooms, one sitting area with a tv and a balcony with a view from a distance of the ocean and pool area. Plastic chairs, tables and reclining beach chairs were scattered orderly about the pools, one of which had a fake waterfall and a big thatched roof on opposing sides, under of which was located a bar with many submerged stools and concrete tabletops that peeked just above the water. The restaurant was located nearby, part of which was concealed within walls with tall, wide windows, but some tables were set on an open balcony that overlooked the beach that could also be seen from the pool area. Clear blue water washed up on the soft, white sand, the waves so gentle that foam was hardly visible.

There was also a playground for kids, a gym, a tennis court and some other features that clearly did not get their attention as much as the pools and the beach did. The older adults changed into swimming trunks, Kakashi with that ever present, ugly disposable mask on his face and aviator sunglasses to hide most of the scar on his face, and left the three freshly graduated college students to their devices. They, too, changed into bathing suits, but before they headed for the pools after them, they decided to explore a bit.

Sakura thought she saw a white sedan in the parking lot. Upon closer inspection, she found that there were three others as well. Of course; as if that would be an exclusive model.

Naruto decided to go for a swim. Sai settled for a walk on the beach with his camera; he enjoyed taking pictures just as much he liked drawing landscapes and people. Sakura decided to be the sensible, polite one and headed over to their teachers to greet the couple they were talking with by the pool bar.

Kakashi had a tall glass with a frilly umbrella before him on the tabletop when he waved her over. "Sakura-chan! Come meet our friends." Water danced above her knees as she walked over to them in the shallow part of the pool. The woman had long brown hair, beautiful red eyes and a protruding belly that confirmed a pregnancy. Her husband, perhaps, had a bearded face that she found oddly familiar. "These are Kurenai and Asuma. They're here with some graduates as well."

She smiled at them, all the while trying to figure out where she had seen that man before, when Asuma glanced at the path emerging from the buildings and raised a hand. "And there they are."

A plump man with spiky brown hair donning and open button-up green shirt and black shorts, a bag of chips in his hands and crumbs clinging to the corners of his mouth. A model-like blonde beauty with a curvaceous figure and a bust Sakura wished she could have, her long hair flowing behind her like silk in the wind. And a man with a ponytail that was much too familiar as well.

Horror dawned on her as she realized that one of the white sedans in the parking lot belonged to them.

* * *

The group was not so bad. Kurenai was kind, but she mostly spoke with Ino, glad that she had a female friend to spend time with now. The boys formed a group of their own and engaged in many activities, although Choji always made sure to bring food and Shikamaru, the one she had been shamelessly checking out on the road, often complained about it all, but ended up going nonetheless. As much as he was handsome, he seemed like an overall lazy guy. Ino confirmed that to be true after a few hours in her presence.

Sakura was unsure whether or not they were engaged romantically. They would have to be blind or stupid not to want to date Ino, honestly; she was much too good-looking in her two-piece purple bikini and made Sakura feel very self-conscious with her short pink hair and petite figure with more subtle curves. She felt slightly relieved to know that she seemed to be interested in Sai – of all people – but still did not seem too comfortable with the idea of trying to flirt with Shikamaru. Aside from the bare minimum greetings, they only seemed to talk when everyone was together to play a game or to eat at the restaurant.

Ino seemed like a cunning person, so she dared not ask her about Shikamaru in any way, unless the conversation they were having allowed her to ask one thing or two before quickly trying to steer the conversation away from him, but still remain within the same topic.

On their third day there, Naruto and Choji were in the pool talking, Sai was in one of the reclining chairs drawing some of the palm trees and plants around the pool area, Sakura was on the chair next to his reading one of her medical books, Shikamaru was just next to her taking a nap, and Ino – where was Ino? Her absence did not bother her much. She was much too content with her book and her sunglasses with mirrored lenses to care. Sakura could read in peace and steal glimpses at the sleeping figure on the chair to her right without him or anyone knowing. Kakashi and the other adults were always too busy by the bar having drinks and talking about whatever.

A shadow fell over her. Sakura looked up into the eyes of Ino who had her hands perched on her hips. "Are you studying?" She hissed accusatorily and made to hoist her up and away from her comfortable spot. "No way! We're going out for a walk now!"

Shikamaru woke up with Ino's loud words, which attracted stares from other people as well. If everything else was not enough to burn Sakura to a crisp in embarrassment, the knowledge that she had disturbed him certainly did. The blonde was a little kinder as she sweet talked to Sai and asked him to look over her medical books before pushing her along the way where a waiting Kurenai was standing as she gently rubbed her stomach.

She apologized with a kind smile, though there was something in her eyes that she could not name. "Ino wanted to take a walk on the beach with us."

Sakura complied, although she knew that the pregnant woman should be resting with her feet up on a soft cushion, but the sand was just as soft. The water was warm was well, and Kurenai kept her engaged in a conversation about her major in medicine whilst Ino looked around them all the time as if looking for something very specific. There was a palm tree in a grassy patch where they stopped for a while to let Kurenai catch her breath. Merchants passed by them offering to show local sweets and crafts. The older woman bought a few sweets for Choji.

"So, Sakura." Something in the way Ino pronounced her name did not sit well in her stomach. She swiveled around on the balls of her feet with hands propped on her hips and lifted a brow at the pink haired woman. "Shikamaru, uh?"

She paled considerably before crimson took over every inch of her face. Kurenai shook her head at the blonde's forwardness and patted the young woman sitting beside her gently on the back. "Ino can smell things like from miles away."

Sakura buried her face in her palms. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Oh, please, Forehead." Hours into their fresh new friendship and they already had nicknames for each other. "Did you really think that mirrored sunglasses would fool me?"

Her ears were ready to fall off if she continued to experience such embarrassment. Ino flipped her long hair over her shoulder and Kurenai settled a friendly hand on her shoulder. "It takes a while for Shikamaru to make a move. He's dated only one girl seriously, right?" She looked up at Ino for confirmation and continued. "We aren't leaving so soon. Maybe we can help you."

She did not know what to say. Sakura did not even know if Ino was subtle enough to hint at it to her childhood friend, still she nodded her head anyways in hopes that they could just go back to the hotel and she could hide in some dark place until she was feeling mildly like herself again. They helped Kurenai up to her feet and backtracked their steps. Sakura breezed past the boys once they got there, not daring to look up in her rush to go to her room.

* * *

The hotel was located in a small town that lacked the glamour of big cities like Konoha, but its cobblestone streets and its simple buildings gave it a special charm. The best time to explore was in the evening, for during the day the sun beat down mercilessly on them. Upbeat songs drifted from within restaurants and shops along with the delicious smell of dishes that had Choji trying to figure out the best place to grab a bite. He ended up stopping by various stalls and smaller snack bars to get smaller portions so he could have a bit of everything.

Shikamaru and Ino walked at his pace whilst she kept a steady talk with Sai as he briefly stopped every now and then to photograph something eye-catching. Naruto and Sakura walked on ahead looking at different display windows and exchanging opinions on the many things they saw. He tossed away his empty milkshake cup and offered to buy her another ice cream cone if she wanted, to which she declined. He casually slung an arm over her shoulder as they leant forward to examine something else that was being sold. Ino narrowed her eyes at them.

She looked at her friend and then glanced behind her, wondering what Kurenai would do in a time like this. She really wished these old people would quit stopping at every bar they saw for drinks and chit chat; she was on a mission and needed some help!

Taking a deep breath, Ino considered her options. She knew that Sai knew just enough about the duo ahead to mention what needed to be said. "Don't you think they make a great couple?"

Shikamaru, who up until that point had been walking while looking up at the stars, glanced down at them in that moment and missed his step on one of the cobblestone. Ino knew that it most likely was just a coincidence, but chose to believe what she wanted to believe.

Sai lowered his camera, quickly checked the picture he had just taken, and then looked up at his friends. "Naruto has a partner."

"I can see that."

"No." He shook his head as if to stress his point. "It's a man from Konoha. Sakura is friends with him."

"They must be looking for a gift to him then." Ino hummed in contemplation and chanced a glance at the man next to her from the corner of her eyes. Shikamaru seemed to have regained his composure and perhaps was aware of the games she was playing. He had always been too smart for his own good. "Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

The group stopped as Choji wandered to another establishment when a delicious sweet smell reached his nose. Sai went on. "I heard from Naruto that he was hoping she would date his best friend."

"Really? What went wrong?"

"Sasuke turned her down." He said in a flat tone as he adjusted the configurations of his camera for another shot. "Multiple times. I guess she just gave up."

Ino frowned genuinely at that. She knew Sakura for a very short time, true, but she could not fathom why someone would ever reject to go out with her like this. Sure, she liked to study in a trip to the beach instead of lying back to get a tan, but she was nice and fun and pretty. She seemed to care deeply for her friends and was as patient with Naruto and Sai as her temper would let her. She had just met Kurenai and asked her daily how she was doing because that was her instinct as a medicine graduate.

"Some people just realize what they had after they let go."

She jerked her head towards Shikamaru. His gaze was set on the two friends as they finally agreed on something nice and entered the small shop with colorful walls. For a moment, Ino wondered if he was talking about himself and his ex-girlfriend, thinking back to the time when she broke things up with him about a year and a half ago and then randomly waltzed into his life about eight months later wanting to get back together. By then, he had fully healed and wanted nothing more with her.

He had that look again on his face, however, from when he sat down with Ino after that chance meeting and told her that it was finally time he gave someone new a chance. The aloof expression softened and his shoulders loosened their tension for just a brief second, but she saw it all. Shikamaru probably figured that this guy would act up when Sakura was happy with someone that she truly deserved, or when she was simply happy with herself.

Choji returned to their group with a sandwich looking thing that was oozing a caramel like filling from around the edges. Ino regarded Shikamaru as he declined a bite from Choji's snack, and made a mental note to plot a plan with Kurenai.

* * *

The sun rose early around here, at about five in the morning. Sakura found herself awake the moment the barest hint of light slipped past the heavy curtains and could not sleep afterwards. Quietly, she grabbed a book and sneaked out of her bedroom and out onto the balcony. They had found a hammock inside one of the closets and hung it up on the balcony minutes afterwards. She and Naruto had squeezed themselves in there and rocked back and forth like little kids, trying to shove the other out onto the ground.

She opened the sliding doors quietly and sat on the hammock that swayed slightly with the new added weight. The air was so fresh and birds were already singing nearby. The sound of the sea could be heard faintly on the background. She took in a deep breath and opened her book, immersing herself in a much needed quiet time.

Six pages later, the door to the balcony of the neighboring apartment opened and Shikamaru emerged from within with his hair down. Sakura looked up to greet him and noticed as he tucked away a carton of cigarettes into the pocket of his pants. She heard from Ino that he got that nasty habit from his teacher, and deeply appreciated that he decided to spare her from the awful smell of nicotine.

"Studying so early already?" He inquired as he lazily leant onto the wood railing separating them.

Sakura set the red page marker in place and closed the book. "I have to keep sharp."

One of his eyebrows quirked in wonder. "Why's that?"

She felt pride swelling inside herself for her accomplishments, but tried to sound like she was not bragging. "My teacher offered me a job after I graduated. I completed the obligatory hours of the internship under her watch some months ago, so I proved myself to be competent enough. I'll start next month."

Shikamaru seemed impressed at that and smiled at her excitement. "Sounds like a lot of responsibility."

"It is, but I don't really mind."

Quietness fell over them as the sun rose higher above the line of the horizon. Sakura placed her foot down on the floor to rock the hammock gently, but the coldness of the tiles made a shiver travel up her body all the way to her head. Engrossed as she was with her reading, she had not noticed that the early morning air was cold enough to make goose bumps rise on her skin. Sakura rubbed her arms distractedly as she watched a yellow bird hopping around on a branch not too far from her sight.

"Here." She turned to the sound of his voice just in time to catch the hoodie he threw at her. Fumbling around with the article of clothing as if at a loss of what to do, she looked up in confusion to see him chuckling softly at her, making a blush color her face. "You seem cold."

"I could just go inside to grab a blanket, you know."

"Too troublesome." He waved her words away with a careless swipe of his hand on empty air and watched her intently until she slipped it on. Sakura did so reluctantly, tugging on the collar to hide her flushed cheeks and catching a whiff of the scent in the process. Cologne mixed with cigarette smoke and... Grass. Never in her life had she thought she would find the smell of cigarette smoke to be so appealing like this.

The door behind her opened and the two twisted to look at whoever it was. Yamato poked his head outside, vision still bleary from sleep, and stifled a yawn upon noticing that Sakura was very wide awake. "There you are. Oh, morning, Shikamaru." He received a quiet greeting in reply. Yamato glanced at the top of the book on her lap and shook his head. "Give yourself a break, Sakura. Tsunade told you to enjoy the trip."

Her blush travelled up to her ears and she stammered for a bit, trying to find an appropriate excuse to say. Her teacher did yawn just then and turned around to head back inside. "Don't make me tell Kakashi so he'll have to hide it from you."

"What!? I should be the one hiding his books!"

Yamato laughed at her words and closed the door.


	2. ii

A slightly longer chapter just for the sake of breaking this fic down so the last segment will be the one I want. Truth be told, I haven't revised this one, so I apologize for mistakes. Also, I desperately need to write the final parts of this fic, but I keep procrastinating. We've all been there, I guess. Also, I finally updated _askshikasaku_.

And lastly, Happy Holidays, everyone! I'm sending to all of you lots of love and good vibes, hoping your upcoming days will be filled with joy and that you'll all be safe.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **ii**

* * *

If word got to Tsunade that she was using her vacations to study instead of relaxing, she would get a lecture of a lifetime, so Sakura decided not to take her chances and hid her books in her closet, choosing to read them only at night before bed. They stuck together that day in the beach for long hours playing volleyball on the soft sand, one group of friends against the other. The terrain certainly made it more difficult to find their footing and whenever someone fell, the rest broke into laughter until they resumed the game.

It was not long before Ino offered to change teams with Sakura. She did not know if this was a ploy to get her to interact more with Shikamaru, but she was certain that the blonde just wanted one excuse to be close to Sai. The volleyball net was set close enough to the open balcony of the restaurant so their teachers could watch them play and have fun and still converse among the four of them at the same time.

The game was progressing well. They were not keeping marks on who won or lost, and sometimes they even ditched the rules to prolong the match. Currently, Shikamaru was closest to the net while Sakura and Choji stayed by the back of the court when the ball came hurling in a blur of yellow and blue. Despite announcing aloud that she got it, the three of them moved together towards the target, and something that could have been prevented unfolded anyway. Sakura was sprawled sideways on top of Shikamaru, Choji's legs were perched upon her back with his feet resting above his friend's face, and the ball missed his head by scant inches.

Kakashi and Yamato, along with their friends, were upon them in a second, Kurenai and Asuma approaching at a slower pace. They helped Choji move away from the duo, his back throbbing due to having tripped on them in his blind rushing towards the ball. Sakura sensed Shikamaru's face to her left and so turned in the other direction to cough as much sand out of her mouth as possible. Hands tugged her upwards and wiped at the corner of her lips. Her sunglasses had fallen somewhere nearby and her eyes were squeezed shut; try as she might, she could not stop rubbing at them to try to get rid of the fine granules of sand. As she doubled over to cough more, Shikamaru stood up with a grunt and clutched his throbbing arm.

"She needs to wash her face and mouth." Sai supplied helpfully over the frantic stream of words coming from Naruto.

Yamato nodded and Kakashi said as he brushed sand away from her shoulders and arms. "I'll take her to the apartment."

"No! Shikamaru can do that!" Ino blurted out quickly, attracting stares in her direction. Thankfully, both her friends seemed too preoccupied with something else to notice.

Asuma's face lightened up in understanding and came to her rescue. "He needs some ice for that arm. There are a few bottles in the mini fridge he can use."

Naruto, as it was, did not understand what was going on, although he had a feeling that he should have an idea of what was happening. Sakura was led over to Shikamaru, her face contorted with all the sand in her eyes and her mouth, and he led her away by wrapping the hand of his good arm gently around her fingers. The sun was blocked out by the tall, thick canopy of the threes in the apartment area and he used the card in his pocket to unlock the door. He left her in the bathroom to clean herself up and trudged over to the mini fridge in the sitting area located between two pieces of furniture.

The coldness of the water bottle was good against his heated skin. He let out a sigh and figured that now they could stop playing volleyball and just chill in the pool instead. The faucet squeaked as it was turned off and Sakura emerged from the bathroom with droplets of water still clinging to her face. Giving him an apologetic smile as she walked past him, she opened the door to the balcony and jumped over the railing to her apartment. He followed suit.

Her apartment was exactly like his, except mirrored. Shikamaru followed her to one of the doors and stopped himself from entering her bedroom as she turned it upside down. "I know I have some eye drops somewhere." She grumbled to herself and shoved her hand inside her purse. "Sasuke always needs them."

This Sasuke was the one that turned her down over and over again. What let him to believe that, he did not know, but since she had given him an opening, he could learn more about this guy. "Who is he?"

"Sasuke? He's our friend. His eyes tend to get pretty dry, so I carry some extra eye drops in case he forgets his own." Sakura pulled a small bottle from the purse, uncapped it and tilted her head back to apply it.

She spoke very casually of him. The fondness in her voice was equal to the one that surfaced when she spoke of Naruto and Sai. It was safe to say she seemed to have gotten over him. "He's a lucky guy to have a caring friend."

Sakura flushed again and blinked her eyes repeatedly. "Yeah." Clearing her throat, she dropped the bottle inside her purse and turned back to him. "Sorry about the arm." Shikamaru flexed it to show it was alright. They headed back to the pool area shortly later.

* * *

"Sakura! Can I use your laptop?"

There was no use in denying his request now that he was already in her room turning it on. She sighed heavily and closed the book she was reading, setting it on the couch before moving away towards the balcony. Naruto came bouncing into the sitting area and flopped onto a seat, typing the password he knew by heart by now and waiting for the device to load fully so he could either Skype his boyfriend or watch animal videos.

Sai was sitting on the hammock, camera in hand as he went through the pictures they had taken in their first week at the beach. A glimpse to the neighboring balcony revealed a Shikamaru dozing away on the green stripped hammock with a leg dangling off the side. Smiling softly, she sat beside her friend and turned to look at the images displaying on the screen.

There were many photographs of the scenery, of the sea and waves washing up on the shore, the sky, the different trees and some wildlife that showed up inside the hotel on trees or on the ground. Of course, there were some shots of them as well. Choji in their trip to town tasting many different dishes, she and Naruto looking at display windows, Shikamaru sleeping by the pool, Asuma and Kurenai walking hand in hand, Kakashi lifting another drink with a frilly umbrella in cheers, Yamato laughing at something one of them said, Ino laying down a towel to sunbathe on the beach.

Ino had yet to mention it, but Sai was not falling for her advances. He spoke with her, yes, but did not go out of his way to spend large amounts of time with her. It had never occurred to Sakura before, but maybe it took him a while to open up to someone to the point in which he could entertain the idea of cultivating romantic feelings for them. Or maybe, Sai was simply not into dating, romance and stuff. It was hard to tell mainly because she did not know him so well.

Sakura laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh and watched the pictures flicking and changing. Whatever the case, she would be there to support him if needed.

"We still haven't taken a picture together." He broke the silence after a while.

She straightened her posture and watched him move to the side to grab a tripod. Setting it up, an orange light blinked in the front of the camera to show the timer was running and he sat down beside her again, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled brightly at the camera. She did the same. They knew each other for a very short period of time, but it already felt like he had always been a part of their group.

A soft click reached their ears and he lingered in place for only a second before moving forward to check the picture. Hurried footsteps approached from behind before a voice bellowed. "I wanna take a picture too!"

Naruto threw himself at the hammock. With its balance perturbed, it swayed dangerously and knocked both him and her to the ground in a heap of limbs. Sai followed as they crashed into him, but thankfully, he managed to protect the camera from any damage. The impact was a loud and messy affair and by the time everything had registered and they were laughing, Kakashi and Yamato were at the door like two parents proud of seeing their kids getting along so well. It was not much far from the truth.

Sakura laid her head back down on the floor and caught Shikamaru's sleepy gaze as he leaned over the railing set in the middle of what could have been one large balcony. She grinned at him apologetically, pink coloring her cheeks when he smiled softly in return and shook his head before retreating to his apartment.

* * *

It was another early morning when Sakura placed her bare feet on the cool sand of the beach. After a restless night of tossing and turning unable to get some good, proper sleep, she laid in bed for a while before deciding to get up and go out for a walk. She was sure that, if she expended some energy, she would be out like a light when bedtime came around.

The sky was colored in soft colors as the sun rose and marked the beginning of another day. The weather around here was so hot that the chill brought by the night would dissipate before one could even realize. If it were not for the air conditioner, all of them would wake up at seven or eight in the morning drenched in sweat. The breeze that swayed the waves made goosebumps rise on the bare skin of her leg, but her arms were protected from the winds by the hoodie Shikamaru had lent her days ago and she had forgotten to return. She thought of making good use of it before returning it.

Sakura tugged the collar up to her face and inhaled deeply. It still held onto some of his smell and it made her stomach flip.

"Awake already?"

She jumped in fright and whirled around to look at none other than Shikamaru himself. Horror colored her features as a fierce blush rose to her face at being caught. He only lifted a brow and covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned loudly. As the first waves of shock wore off, she noticed the bitter smell of cigarette smoke clinging to him and found it impossible to ignore.

He shook her head when she wrinkled her nose. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I could go for a walk." Sakura replied after squinting at his face for a good amount of time. "It's best than lying in bed waiting for the rest of them to wake up. And I don't want to be caught reading during the day again."

Shikamaru nodded and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to accompany you, then. I don't even have a book to read back in the apartment."

"I could lend you one."

"Hmm." He frowned his lips. "Not exactly my kind of thing, but thanks for the offer."

She laughed, easily falling into step with him and finding that she liked the way he smirked at the exchange. The water still was not warm enough, so they stuck to the sand, talking and learning more about each other.

* * *

Ino huffed as she emerged from the water, brushed back her long bangs and propped her crossed arms on the edge of the pool. Sakura supported most of her weight on her elbows as she faced the rest of the pool and watched everyone playing around. As her new friend turned to mimic her position, she looked at the frown on her face. "What's wrong?"

Her eyebrows pinched further as she watched the men across from them, Sai and Shikamaru talking as Naruto and Choji engaged in a competition to see who could hold their breaths the longest. Ino sunk down until the water was grazing her chin and Sakura followed. "He's not interested."

Sakura smiled ruefully. "He's not."

She did not know what to say next that would make her feel better, but in all honesty, Ino did not seem bothered much by the fact that Sai was not returning her advances. Maybe a little irritated that a man had ignored her charms, but otherwise she was fine. The canopy of the palm trees by the pool rustled in the wind as Choji was the first to resurface to take a large gulp of air. Shikamaru patted him on the back and a second later, Naruto had his head out of the water and was yelling.

Ino sighed and turned her face in her direction so she could whisper discreetly. "I really like Choji, you know." Green eyes widened slightly and Sakura inched closer. "He's a really sweet guy."

Sakura turned her words over in her head and asked. "Then why pursue Sai? Or anyone else?"

An offhanded shrug preceded her reply. "It's silly, specially coming from me, but I'm... Apprehensive. I know them for so long. Maybe he just sees me as a sister and I could ruin our friendship. I can't tell if he likes me and I'm not going to ask Shikamaru about that."

"It's not silly." Ino looked up at her as she resumed her previous perch on the edge of the pool. "I don't want to give advice in case it ends up not being the right course of action to have taken, but at the same time I want to help you."

Her friend laughed as she placed her forearms on the edge and rose to meet her eyes evenly. "No offense, but I know you for only a matter of days and I can already tell you suck at relationships." Sakura scowled darkly at her, an expression that would have Naruto taking back his words, but it only made Ino laugh louder. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as their friends turned to look at them. "Oh, come on. You haven't even tried to flirt with Shikamaru yet."

While her voice was loud, at least her voice was quiet enough to keep the conversation just between the two of them. "Yeah, well, I can't even tell what he thinks."

"Shikamaru is much too chivalrous to be the one to initiate the flirting unless you show some interest." Ino supplied helpfully. "But I want to know what love advice you can offer."

Sakura glared at her as she patted her shoulder soothingly and then sighed in defeat. "Actually, I think you can follow your own advice. Try flirting with Choji and see where it goes. If he doesn't pick up on it or encourage it, then drop it before things blow up on your face."

Ino's eyebrows inched up. "It's not like I haven't considered that, but hearing it from you, I might just try it."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura splashed some water at her halfheartedly and said, "Change the topic, they're coming over."

:

"Sakura."

She glanced away from the darkness of the night and settled her gaze on Yamato's face. Sakura had been the first to shower and get ready for dinner that night and had left early to secure a table for everyone. Usually, the older adults would sit together in a table of their own while the graduates shared one, and usually, they would be the last to arrive. So she was quite surprised to see him in the restaurant already.

Yamato pulled a chair across from her and sat down as she leaned back and lowered her hands to her lap. She smiled and waited for him to speak, wondering what brought him here before everyone else. "I'm glad that Sai is getting along so well with you now."

None of them had gotten along right away thanks to Sai's cluelessness when it came to social interactions. To this day, him and Sasuke still were not on good terms, mainly because the Uchiha had difficulty to let new people into his life and that Sai's actions made him exasperated. It was as if all of his patience was reserved for Naruto and Sakura only and therefore he had nothing left to spare on him, but they were slightly better now than they were in the beginning.

Naruto and Sakura had found it easier to adapt to the new addition in their group and this trip had only strengthened the tentative bonds they had been building. Sai was not so bad and he learned rather quickly; he no more called them inappropriate names and was finally creating a personality of his own instead of trying a new one each day from the books he read, or worse, trying to replicate the personalities of those around him.

Sure, sometimes he got on her nerves, but then again, everyone did that at some point. She was much too hotheaded.

"I can see it makes him happy." Yamato continued in a tone full of fondness for his adopted son. "He finally has real friends and he's learning to express himself better."

Sakura did not know much about Sai's past. It was not her place to ask and intrude in their lives, but from what Kakashi had told her once on the very first day they were introduced, his biological father was too controlling. She did not know what the man had done specifically to make his own son end up that way, nor did she know how Yamato got to be Sai's legal guardian, but she was glad that he had been able to find someone willing to care for him. After that vague explanation from Kakashi, she had decided she would control her temperament better. If she set an example, Naruto would follow it eventually.

"He just needed a little help." She said with a grin and Yamato returned it in kind. The topic dropped as a brief moment later they heard Naruto's loud voice carry inside the restaurant.

* * *

The seawater lapped up at the rocks they had chosen to stop after the morning walk, and Shikamaru stretched before sitting up. Sakura was already carefully picking her way over to the beach and he followed her with a yawn, eyes searching for the best path to the soft sands. She stopped and crouched to look at a crab hiding between the curves of the rock and he continued past her as she watched the creature rub at its face with a claw.

"Come on." He called in a drawled out voice and sunk his toes into the warming sand. "We're farther from the hotel today."

"Coming!" She responded loudly and he rolled his neck and shoulders. The rock he had been lying on was not smooth enough for his liking, but it would have made a great spot for a nap if it were.

Shikamaru walked a couple of steps forward and paused once a loud yelp reached his ears, his body immediately swiveling to look at Sakura sprawled on the sand with her chin buried in the granules. It was like the volleyball game all over again, he thought as he rushed over to her. She was hissing and whimpering, and he helped her sit up. One of her legs was bent to make sure her foot was hovering in the air and he decided to inspect it.

There was a gash on the sole of her foot. It cut diagonally across the arch and while it did not seem too deep, it surely was stinging given the way she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. He took hold of the appendage and frowned; he should have known something like this could have happened. There was no way she could walk like this, unless she wanted to make it hurt more by walking in the salty water or risking getting it infected walking on the sand.

Weighing his options, Shikamaru helped her balance as she stood on one wobbly leg and turned around so she could lean against his back. "I'll have to carry you back." He knew she wanted to protest, but also knew this was the fastest way they could go back to the hotel and get the wound treated.

Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands found purchase on her thigh. He ignored the way her breath hitched against his ear and hooked his arms behind her knees once she was situated comfortably on his back. Shikamaru inhaled deeply and was immediately assaulted by the flowery smell of her shampoo. With her face shoved in the space between his shoulder and his neck, he began the trek back to the hotel, focusing on the sounds of the waves to distract himself from the close proximity between their bodies.

The hotel was within his sight much alter than he had anticipated and already he could see the bright blonde heads of Ino and Naruto looking around the beach for them. They were first spotted by the adults sitting on the deck still finishing their breakfast, and Kakashi jumped to his feet the moment he caught a glimpse of her pink hair from behind Shikamaru's slightly hunched back. In a flash, they were circled again by all of their friends, and he was impressed at how her friends fussed over her.

"It seems you got Tsunade's bad luck, Sakura." Kakashi commented with only a hint of humor as Yamato maneuvered her to her teacher's back. She only whined in response and lightly pinched his upper arm. "Let's get you inside so you can clean it up."

* * *

Sakura stretched on her chair and opened her medical book. It was a nice day as usual and she was going to stay with Kurenai in the hotel while everyone else went out to visit the historical city some miles from there. The original plan was that Asuma were to stay with his wife, but with her foot still stinging and making it hard to walk properly, and since the company responsible for the little tour did not offer refunds, they switched places and he went with everyone else.

Kurenai was entering her fourth month of pregnancy and would sometimes complain about her swollen feet. So they spent the day sunbathing by the pool and sipping on fruity, non-alcoholic drinks and feasting on a serving of spinach ravioli for lunch that was simply divine. It was a lazy and warm day that left Sakura sleepy after hours under the sun. They had talked about how Kurenai met Kakashi and the events that led to her wedding with Asuma. They were both so anxious for the arrival of their baby, and Sakura could tell by the way he looked at his wife that Asuma loved her very much.

They both retreated into their apartment at four in the afternoon for a nap. Sakura laid down on the hammock on the balcony and gently swung from side to side using her toe. The motion, along with the salty breeze and the rustling of the leaves, easily lulled her to sleep. In hindsight, she should have known that sleeping there would lead to a terrible pain on the back and neck, but Sakura had never planned to sleep on the hammock, per se, but she ended up doing that anyway.

She was shaken awake by Yamato later. He smiled down at her as she blinked owlishly and stared at their darkened surroundings. "Hey. We just got home. Would you like to shower before everyone else?" After the first day when she had been the last to shower and had lectured them on the horrible state they had left the bathroom, they had all agreed that she would be the first to shower.

With a slow nod, she accepted his help to stand up from the hammock and hooked her arm around his. Walking around with a limp was a slow process and as much as she did not mind doing things slowly, Sakura did not want to risk losing the clean bathroom to Naruto, knowing he would splash water all over the floor again. The blonde ran up to them before they could take a step and shoved the laptop in her face. "Say hi, Sakura-chan!"

"Sakura." She jerked her head back at the sudden brightness on her face. "You look awful."

She scowled at the image of none other than Sasuke on the screen and scoffed indignantly. "Everyone looks awful near such a pretty boy as yourself, Sasuke." His eyebrow twitched at her choice of word, but he said nothing about that. "Having fun with your friends?"

"I almost feel at home with two loudmouths following me everywhere. Almost." She heard as the only girl in his group protested at his comparison. The two groups got along most of the time, and just as Sai's addition to their group had stirred some misunderstandings, the same had happened with them. After the initial dislike, they learned to have fun in the times they met. They were not so bad as they had seemed at first glance.

Sakura chuckled lightly and waved at him. "Nice to see you and hear Karin's voice and all, but I gotta claim the bathroom before any of them do."

He nodded almost solemnly. "You do that. You look like you need it." She gave him the finger and let go of Yamato to try and stomp her way to her bedroom to grab a change of clothes. Naruto laughed at the exchange and turned the laptop around so he could see Sasuke. "She was limping. Did something happen?"

"Oh. Sakura hurt her foot the other day on a walk with Shikamaru."

"Shikamaru?" The dark haired man echoed as Naruto wandered back to the couch in the sitting area. "Who's that?"

Yamato shook his head slowly and turned around to close the doors to the balcony so they could turn the A/C on. He stole a quick glimpse at the young man lying on the hammock of the neighboring balcony; he was most likely eavesdropping.


	3. iii

Hello, everyone! How's 2018 treating you so far? Here's a shorter update so that we can close the beach segment and move on to another setting in the following updates. I'm happy to say that I finished writing this! Yes! All of it! Personally, I like the ending; dare I say it's a bit humurous. Also, Sasuke. Well, I'm not saying anything else lest I spoil some things. I read every review I get and, although I don't always reply to them as I always say I will, I cherish them all deeply.

Thank you for your continued support!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **iii**

* * *

Sand dunes. Quad bikes. Two things that she did not think could go along together, but when paired up, resulted in one of the most adventurous things to do in this part of the coast. Sakura herself did not know how to ride a motorcycle although she knew how to drive a car. It was something that did not require walking and that she could do with her friends today; she was not looking forward to it, though. Sometimes, Sakura had her moments when she enjoyed the adrenalin rush, but most of the times, she would rather engage in calmer activities.

She had no say in this, though. They had already paid for her to go and none of the adults was willing to take her place. They were just a bunch of old men, but not Kurenai. She was an angel and she was pregnant, so Sakura had nothing against her.

Ino was quick to jump behind Choji on the blue quad bike he had claimed and wrapped around her arms arounds his torso. Dressed in her two piece bikini and a simple jean shorts, she looked twice as good as Sakura even though they were wearing pretty much the same thing. She never got around to asking, but she was sure that Ino had a part-time job as a model or something like that. How was it possible for someone to be blessed with so many good genes?

Naruto sat atop a bright red quad bike and Sakura considered her options of risking her life with him on charge of the vehicle or dying of embarrassment by hugging Shikamaru on top of the forest green quad bike. "Forehead, let Sai go with Naruto!" Ino shouted as Choji turned on the ignition. "He'll be more comfortable around him than with Shika."

Sakura doubted that. Sai did not really feel uncomfortable around anyone. She shot her friend a mild glare and slowly climbed on top of the quad bike behind Shikamaru, placing her hands on her thighs. Naruto shot her a bright grin and his vehicle roared to life. Soon, he and Choji were following the trail on the sand grass with Ino cheering loudly and laughing.

"Maybe you should hold onto me." He seemed very nonchalant about it and her fingers twitched nervously as contrast. "We can only follow this path, but it will be a bumpy ride."

She nodded slowly, clasping her hands together before his chest and squeezing her eyes tight. She was being silly, Sakura knew that. He had carried her on his back the other day; this was nothing compared to that. As they went forward and her hair was blown back by the wind, Sakura slowly began to enjoy the ride and pressed closer to him to peek over his shoulders at the scenery ahead. Ino had twisted her torso around to look at them and stuck her tongue out at Sakura when she caught her gaze; not that she knew if she had, anyway, because the mirrored lenses of Sakura's sunglasses were doing their job for once.

Naruto's laughter easily reached them and she hoped Sai was enjoying it just as much as they were. It was hard to know if he really liked something or not; his smile was still a bit fake and forced, but day by day, it got a little more real and convincing. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a light smirk playing on Shikamaru's lips. He revved up the bike to catch up to their friends. He was so damn aloof about everything that even Kakashi managed to show more emotion in this trip than him, and that was saying something.

They were on the beginner's course, or on the trail that tourists were allowed to roam freely. The real sand dunes that brought that extra pinch of adventure and adrenaline was far to their left and she could see dark spots gliding through it as professional, licensed drivers were paid to take tourists on a ride of a lifetime. Sakura was very content where she was, though she could feel a little something inside her that wanted to feel that rush in her veins.

Shikamaru and she were the last to arrive to the end of a branch on the road to a cliff that provided a beautiful view of the ocean. Peeling herself away from him, she waited for him so they could walk towards their friends together. By the time they reached the group at a slower pace thanks to her injured foot, Sai had already set up the tripod and his camera and was instructing them to stand together for a group picture. Setting the timer, he ran over and stopped beside Naruto, and flashed a good smile at the camera.

* * *

Their days were coming to an end. They had saved money since day one of university to afford this trip, but all good things came to an end, as did their money. Sakura was just glad that she could enjoy the last three days properly because the gash on the arch of her foot had healed just enough so that she could walk without any problems and could even swim without wincing in pain.

Not too far from the hotel, to the left, it was possible to find natural pools in the shallow part of the sea in the morning thanks to natural corals and rock formations there and the low tide. Mindful of where she was stepping, she and Naruto wandered about while Sai was being extra careful with his camera. Even inside a waterproof case, he worried it still would get wet, even though they had tested it out by sticking a napkin inside and shoving the case into the pool. Choji was already floating in one of the pools that the three were trying to reach.

Ino had accompanied Kurenai to town and the rest of the group was doing whatever. Sakura hurried ahead while Naruto stalled and called for Sai, and sunk into the warm water with a sigh. "There's a lot of fish here!"

Choji swam over and glanced at the little animals hiding between the rocks, pointing at one in particular. "The stripped one looks like that fish from that movie."

"Oh, it does! I never thought I'd see one of those in the sea."

There was a loud splash of water behind them that disturbed the fish. Naruto was giggling madly while Sai carefully maneuvered towards the duo, keeping the camera above his head. As slowly as he was walking, he seemed to be trying to get to them as quickly as possible. The blonde behind him snorted loudly and jumped into the hip-deep water, patting him on the back as he passed by and joined the two to look at the fish. Finally, Sai was beside them, adjusting the camera to take a shot. At first, she had thought she would get annoyed and tired of being with both Naruto and Sai all day long, but now she could say that she would miss this.

* * *

"Ready to go?"

She turned away from the end of a conversation she had been having and nodded at Sai who was sitting beside her, not minding the gentle touch of his fingers on her arm to get her attention, and excused herself as they prepared to leave the restaurant. Ino began laughing loudly before they had even walked away as much as a couple of steps, and giving in to her curiosity, Sakura looked at them from over her shoulder to see Choji snickering behind a fist and Shikamaru glaring down at his plate. Naruto looked confused, and she wondered what sparked that reaction on them.

Taxis were parked outside the entrance of the hotel all day long, waiting for tourists that wanted to go somewhere. The driver was an old man that was actually very nice and even managed to keep up with Sai's unusual questions that he sometimes asked without even thinking if they were appropriate or not. Thankfully, the man seemed to find some humor in them.

He parked by the main street and offered to wait for them if their business was quick. With a pat on his front pocket, Sai reassured him and led Sakura around to wherever he wanted to go. It was not very wise of them to wander about right after lunch when the sun was nearly unbearable. She was starting to sweat and already it felt like she had not drank anything in hours. Sai perked up a bit when he spotted the shop he wanted. Immediately, she understood what he planned to do and offered to meet him back here with something cold for the both of them. He seemed to like the idea.

Sakura headed by herself to the beach where most restaurants and food joints were located, buying a fan for herself on the way and sighing in relief when it managed to make her feel less hot. She would like to have some ice cream, but by the time she got back, it would be melting already. A juice, then, but not any kind of juice. They had many local fruits here that were delicious and she was going to make good use of her last hours here to drink at least one last glass of those.

Stepping into the line, she observed her surroundings until it was time for her to order. Sai mentioned that he liked the juice made from a little yellow fruit, and while it was good, she personally preferred another one. The texture was creamier and it was naturally sweeter, so of course it was her favorite.

Going back, she found Sai waiting underneath an awning across the street. Sakura peeked at the contents he was slipping back inside a white envelope and smiled slightly whilst passing him his plastic glass of juice. With a grateful nod, they went back to the spot they had been dropped off, finding the taxi driver waiting for them as he had promised.

* * *

That afternoon, the hotel staff had installed some outdoor beds by the pool area, and they were so popular it was hard to secure a place in them, but after dinner when most people were tired after a long day, Sakura sunk easily into the thin mattress and looked up at the stars. The beds were scenic at best, with curtains blowing in the wind, except for the mattress inside a waterproof plastic case and the thin pillow concealed inside the same material. Still, it was nice and she was not complaining. Away from the city lights, it was so easy to see the stars, and the breeze coming from the ocean helped keep the temperature just right.

She could not believe it was nearly time to leave. Most of her stuff was packed and ready to go. Naruto had tried to bargain to stay some more, but it was not possible. Sakura was going to miss this, the easy routine and the friends they made.

With a sigh, she readied to leave, but stopped short when she saw Shikamaru approaching. Wordlessly, he claimed the space beside hers and laid down, the both of them so close on the little bed that she stopped breathing altogether. Sakura chose not to say anything, and as the minutes stretched by, she assumed he was going to stay quiet. His side touching hers provided some warmth that could easily lull her to sleep. Her eyes kept searching the stars, if only to keep awake and refrain from looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not good with words." He said eventually, shifting to lie on his side with his elbow supporting the weight of his upper body. Her heart rate increased immediately as her mind supplied her with ideas and images of what he could do now. Her fingers were trembling on top of her stomach and air seemed to be lacking in her lungs. Shikamaru stared at her expectantly and it took her much longer than necessary to realize what she was supposed to do.

Silently, Sakura nodded.

Slowly, his face descended upon hers.

It was a simple kiss, a press of the lips that lingered for long enough to make her melt. If only this was enough to get to that point, imagine what else she would feel when he decided to give her a serious, real kiss. He pulled away to look into her eyes, which were still closed and savoring the moment that had just passed. Shikamaru let out a breathless chuckle and cupped her cheek gently, observing her face until her eyelids parted and her green eyes were visible. Sakura lifted a hand and placed it on the nape of his neck, applying enough pressure to let him know that he should continue.

This time around, his lips were more forceful, still moving languidly against her own until she was humming in pleasure and trying to mold herself into him. Her hands gripped his shoulders, his leg hooked around both of hers, his tongue touched her own and her head was spinning. He was a good kisser and knew exactly how to mix gentleness and aggressiveness, creating the perfect blend that made Sakura realize she enjoyed being overpowered in this sense.

She would gladly spend the rest of the night here, kissing and feeling him, letting him squeeze the curve of her hip and make her back arch whenever he kissed her neck. This, she realized, was the moment she would remember the most.

* * *

Shikamaru woke up and noticed a few things. Choji was snoring lightly on the bed next to his. The muffled sound of the television on the living room area. The sound of the shower running. The pleasant dream he was having in which they had gone a little further that night. He wanted to get right back into it, rubbing his cheek against the soft cotton of the pillow and sighing in contentment as his body relaxed and prepared to return to dreamland. Return to a pink haired woman with creamy skin that he took under the stars.

He jolted upwards abruptly.

"Shit." Frantically, he searched for his cell phone on the bedside table, only to remember that they were not allowed to bring their phones on the trip. "No, no, no, no."

Gracelessly, Shikamaru stumbled out of bed, struggling to untangle the sheet around his limbs and awakening Choji in the process. His best friend rubbed his eyes and asked what was going on in a sleepy voice, but could only watch as the man battled to reach the door and throw it open. Asuma and Kurenai who were cuddling on the couch turned to look at the frantic man as his eyes desperately searched for a clock. There was a watch by the tv and he moved quickly towards it, finally freeing himself from the thin sheet and discarding it halfway to his destination.

He picked it up and brought it to his face, squinting his eyes as if he had troubles seeing without glasses. Choji leaned against the doorframe and tried to blink sleep away. Kurenai cast a worried glance to her husband's profile and saw his face lit up with realization. The water running from the showerhead ceased.

"Why didn't you wake me up!?" Shikamaru questioned in a voice that did not sound like his own, for once letting the agitation he felt show outwardly. "It's ten thirty! They were to leave hours ago!"

Kurenai's red eyes widened and Choji's mouth fell open. The door of the bathroom opened and Ino shoved her head out, a towel wrapped around her blond hair. The watch was dropped to the surface below and Shikamaru raced to the balcony doors to peer at the neighboring balcony. Nothing. Rushing to the door, he flung it open and stepped out into the hallway to see a cart stopped outside the door of the apartment they once occupied. He banged his forehead on the doorjamb and groaned.

"Yours and Kakashi's idea to not bring phones on this trip really helped Shikamaru _not_ get a girlfriend." Ino supplied dryly and shut the door of the bathroom again.

Asuma rubbed the nape of his neck uneasily. None of them had brought any means to annotate phone numbers, and usually when they were in any kind of room with at least one pen and a sheet of paper, namely the entrance lobby, they were often too busy or distracted to remember. That was a pretty stupid move for all them: demand they leave phones at home to enjoy the trip and forget the traditional way to write something down.

Shikamaru was sitting rather dejectedly on the floor when Kurenai approached him with a while envelope in her hands. "This was on the floor when we woke up."

He took it from her hands and flipped it over before opening the flap and taking out the contents. Three copies of pictures were there, the photograph they had taken that day when they went out for a ride on quad bikes. Naruto had draped an arm on Sai's shoulder in a similar way that he had done to the girl beside him. Sakura was using the blonde for support and had her arm wrapped Ino's waist, her friend doing the same. Choji sported the same pose as Naruto, his arms slung around her shoulders and Shikamaru's who had his hands inside the pockets of his trunks and a lazy smile on his lips.

He flipped each of the photographs over, feeling the little hope he had dwindling down whenever he saw the blankness there. Picking himself up, Shikamaru slipped the pictures back inside the envelope. At least, he had something to remember her face.


	4. iv

Hey! Here starts Sakura's quest to reunite wtih Shika, if you want to call it that. It mostly shows her relationship with her group of friends and mentions some other characters, just to show that they're in here. Also, some snippets with Sasuke and Sakura because I thought it'd be important to show how their relationship is after he turned her down before.

Gosh, I could talk about these snippets forever. They're in my top favorite along with ShikaSaku moments and Sai and Sakura interacting here.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **iv**

* * *

Sakura never felt dumber before.

She sat on the floor of her new apartment across the one she used to share with both Naruto and Sasuke. Once those two started dating, she felt like she was being more of a burden than anything else, although they both disagreed with her, Naruto more often than Sasuke of course. Still, couples that lived together needed their privacy, and although she never heard anything that could make her never look them in the eye again out of embarrassment, she felt like she needed to leave.

Thankfully, she had some money saved and the new paycheck she was to receive was enough to allow her to pay for the rent of her apartment safely. She considered inviting Sai to come live with her so he would not feel left out living in another apartment building away from them, but still was unsure about that. Not that she thought he would try to do something creepy, but Sakura wanted to be alone because...

She glanced down at the search page of a social media app and placed her phone down on the fluffy carpet. Sakura was never fond of those kind of things and had them because _everyone uses these, Sakura-chan_ , but lately she had been searching high and low for any traces of the five of them in hopes she would find them. She never would have thought that there were so many Inos and Asumas out there and she was not going to look through more than one thousand profiles trying to find them. She did not have enough time for that.

Truthfully, she had hope that he would somehow appear on her doorstep. And she did not want anyone here when that happened.

Damn Kakashi and his way of thinking he would be doing them a favor by banning their phones from the trip. And they never even considered that papers were a thing although she was always reading. God, was it possible to be this stupid?

Sakura picked her phone and disappeared into her room. Her shift today surely would make her forget this problem temporarily.

* * *

"What is it?"

"Huh?"

"You've been looking at that phone all night. What is it?"

Sakura sighed and placed the device face-down on the tabletop as she brought her glass to her face to take a sip of her drink. Of course, Karin would notice something like that, unlike the men with them; maybe Sasuke would notice, but he would only question her about it later so no one could see him being curious/concerned. Suigetsu and Naruto laughed boisterously whilst Juugo quietly drunk his beer with a smile on his face and Sai was acting mostly like him. Sasuke was the embodiment of stoicism sitting in a bar table.

She weaved her fingers through her hair before propping her face on her hand and turning her head to whisper to the redhead beside her, as if any of her companions would pay attention to their conversation – again, with the exception of Sasuke, because he had been giving her a look for a few days now. "I met this guy on our trip."

Karin's face lit up with interest and she pushed her black-rimmed glasses up her nose bridge. "Tell me about him." She purred and Sakura shook her head at her slightly suggestive tone. "Is he more handsome than Sasuke?"

"You know everyone looks like a ragdoll compared to mister pretty boy over there." His brow furrowed as if he knew they were laughing on his expense. "He's got black hair and beautiful brown eyes, although you only notice his looks once he's not looking bored out of his mind, which was about ninety percent of the time. Everything seems a drag to him according to Ino, but he didn't complain as much as she said."

"And what got you so interested?" Karin smiled politely at the waitress as she took away her empty glass.

Sakura shrugged. "I saw him on the car on our way there. With his hair pulled up, I could see his sharp jaw and that was a _sight._ "

"Everything else was a sight as well?"

"Yes. How can I explain him?" She tapped her chin and considered her words. "He doesn't stand out like Sasuke in a dark and mysterious way or Naruto with his brightness."

"And that's why you're looking at your phone all night?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Waiting for something?"

Sakura laughed a little. "More like waiting for him to find me. We didn't exchange numbers and I can't find him on social media."

"That sucks." Karin said sympathetically and snatched the glass from her friend's hand to take a sip. "I was going to ask you to show me a picture."

"I have a group picture back home. I'll try to invite you all over one night and you'll see."

"Sounds good to me as long Naruto isn't cooking."

"Hey!" Said blonde called both women when they were laughing once again. "What are you two talking about?"

* * *

Sakura often talked to Tsunade, but tagged along with Shizune the most. She was assigned smaller cases and was sometimes present in surgery rooms to watch as the two best medics of the hospital performed a tricky surgery. Children usually composed most of her patients and she loved helping them. It really made her think if she should follow along a pediatric line of work, or focus on other things such as poison like Shizune.

Sakura made friends, too, which only made her like her new job even more. Her coworkers were mostly fine and she got along with most of them pretty well. She also was acquainted to some visitors, like a nice middle school teacher that came to visit some of her patients and other kids that were in the hospital. She was very kind and sweet, and Sakura found herself talking a lot to that woman. Surprised as she was that a Hyuuga would be a teacher and not a businessperson like most of her family, she later decided that the role fit Hinata pretty well.

Hinata had friends, one of which she saw more than the other. His personality faintly reminded her of Naruto and she scolded him many times for bringing a dog hidden inside his jacket to cheer the little kids up, though it made her happy to see them so excited to have the opportunity to play with a dog. His family was said to own and breed many of them. She considered asking Tsunade if they could have some therapy dogs around.

Her other friend was actually her boyfriend, something she found out once Sakura felt like they were close enough to ask. She did not dare question why he seemed to favor high collars and wore sunglasses inside buildings, though, but he was quiet and polite and knew a whole lot of facts about insects. He did not sneak animals inside the building, thankfully, but would sometimes sit down to read the children stories, even if his voice was usually a little stoic.

She saw them often at the hospital, and if she was out and about and saw any of them, they stopped for a quick chat.

* * *

She was acting odd. He knew Sakura for long enough to know that something was up and no amount of asking Naruto about it without making it too obvious would help. The blonde was too dense sometimes to notice subtle things. If he wanted to know what was happening, he would have to ask her directly.

At least, life had graced Sasuke with an opportunity to be alone with her for a while. Naruto was down in the street on the phone trying to help Sai find their apartment building, and Sakura was in the kitchen rearranging the snacks on the plate for the third time. He glanced at her phone set on the counter close to her reach. Lately, she had been saying that she checked her phone often because of her job. He did not doubt it, but knew that there was more to it than she let on.

He leaned against the kitchen wall and watched her try to create a new pattern with the rice balls. "There's a new notification on your phone." He drawled in a bored tone. Sasuke had never seen Sakura jump away from a task towards her cell phone that quickly and narrowed his eyes suspiciously when her frame deflated and she found nothing on the screen. She shot him a glare but her eyes quickly widened once she realized she fallen for his trap.

Sasuke stepped further into the kitchen to intimidate her with his height, as if that move still had some sort of effect on her. "If you don't say what's going on, I will tell Naruto that you're hiding something, and then you'll be sorry."

Her glare returned and she huffed, turning back to the sink to wash her hands and then turning around again to shake her wet hands in his direction and sprinkle droplets all over him. He tried not to scowl at her as she rested her palms on the countertop and exhaled through her nose, staring silently at the ground. "I met someone there."

He blinked and tried not to shift. The relief he felt was almost palpable. Sasuke tried not to dwell on it too much, but truth be told, there was an underlying fear that she would never truly disconnect from her feelings for him and would forever secretly despise the two of them. He did not care much about what people thought of him, but with Naruto and Sakura, it was hard not to care a little.

But then, if she was always expecting a notification, then it meant that she did not have contact with him. If she did, they would have known by now.

"You could always ask Kakashi for help." Sasuke had a pretty good idea of who she was talking about, although he had not cared to remember the name. All he knew was that the one that caught her attention was close to Kakashi's friend, and so their old teacher could lend her a hand.

Sakura ran her digit on top of the smooth marble and mumbled. "I guess..." He lifted a brow, understanding that she was not willing to do as he said, but decided not to push further.

The door opened with a boom and Naruto emerged from the hallway with an arm slung around Sai's neck as he dragged the man inside her apartment. Sakura quickly turned back to her snacks to pretend no words had been exchanged between them and Sasuke was, for once, glad at Naruto's intervention, because he found out he did not like discussing these things with her.

* * *

Sakura was placing some dirty dishes in the sink when Sai joined her in the kitchen that same evening. Previously, she had shared some words with Karin and secretly showed her the group picture she had framed on the wall. They played a board game and Juugo had won, which made him very happy. Now him, Naruto and Suigetsu were playing a fighting game in a console they hooked to her tv and the rest was making small talk about something, that meant Karin was doing most of the talking while Sasuke looked around with disinterest and commented on one thing or another.

Sai smiled at her and presented her with another white envelope. Her fingers twitched before she grasped it and flipped the lid open to look at the contents inside. More copies of some of the pictures he had taken, if not all of them, because he knew she liked setting them inside an album to flip through when she could not sleep. There were many pictures of her and Naruto, and of her and Ino, and she smiled widely when she saw the first picture he took of the two of them on the hammock in the balcony.

As the pictures began to reveal Shikamaru's face, her large smile began to dwindle to a softer tilt. It was good that now she had many pictures of many angles to imagine his face more clearly, but she was filled with uncertainty about it. Sai noticed the shift in her behavior and touched her shoulder briefly, prompting her to snap back into reality and slip the pictures back inside the envelope with a sniff.

"If I ever see any of them," he started quietly, "I'll let you know." She nodded in thanks, feeling her heart squeeze. Could she handle a reunion?

* * *

Kakashi sometimes asked for their help to grade the many tests and exams he applied on his different classes. He did not want to burden Sai with it and Naruto really was not fit for the job. Sasuke was a great student, but his favorite option was Sakura. The air around her was much lighter and he felt more comfortable sitting in silence with her because he knew her from a long way back. And she was better than the three of them in this subject anyway.

He set a tray with tea on the small table of his kitchen, his disposable mask hanging around his neck as he smiled at her. She smiled back and returned her attention to the sheet of paper set before her, unbothered by the sight of his bare face. She had forced him through enough checkups to get used to his features, but did not tell any of her friends about that, especially the overly curious blonde, or else they – he – might nag their former teacher too much and he would never trust her with anything ever again. Besides, he usually wore those outside his apartment because his immunity was low, and he never invited them all over for food and drinks.

One of his dogs sat on her lap, a pug, and another one with fuzzy black and white fur sat at her bare feet. Sometimes a grey dog would come to him and he would reach out to scratch behind its ear before it sauntered back to the living room to join the others. Sometimes Sakura wondered how he managed to live with so many dogs in this place. His apartment was modest, slightly smaller than hers, and furnished with old furniture she guessed he inherited from his father. Pots of succulents and other plants lingered mostly by the windows while others were scattered about the rooms. The windows were surprisingly large enough given the age of the building so more than enough light streamed in, reflecting on the glasses of the many photographs he had displayed.

Sakura sipped the peppermint tea and placed the graded test on a pile before reaching for another one. Her toe dragged along the exposed belly of the dog by her feet and Pakkun snorted in his sleep on her lap. She giggled quietly and scratched his back with the cap of the pen, chewing on her bottom lip as she read the answers.

"Sakura." The lack of a suffix was enough to let her know that he was not about to joke around, and the sight of the seriousness on his bare face was not something that she was fully accustomed to just yet.

She set the pen down and waited for him to speak, his grey eyes hardly blinking as he mulled over the words in his head. Kakashi knocked on the tabletop with his knuckles a couple of times before resting his flat palm upon the spot. "Sasuke said you might need some help from me."

Her face paled and then flushed red in embarrassment almost too quickly for him to see. Sasuke hardly stuck his nose in things that did not concern him, so she was almost touched by his actions. Almost. She would have if she was not wanting to disappear right now. Kakashi must have noticed the helpless look on her face and went on.

"Listen... I know what he's talking about."

"Am I that obvious?"

He chuckled and smiled softly at her. "You aren't. I wouldn't have noticed it at the beach if Ino didn't make it obvious." Kakashi reached out and patted the back of her hand resting on the table. "I can ask Asuma for his number right now if you want."

Sakura shook her head slowly and slumped against her seat. "I... I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that he doesn't feel the same." She winced as she said so. "Not anymore, at least."

Kakashi regarded her with a serious look. "And you plan to hold onto this regardless?"

"This will pass. I got over Sasuke. I just need some more time."

Her former teacher sighed and shook his head, weaving his fingers through his hair. "I'm not telling you what to do," he started in his lecturing tone and she felt like she was back in school. "But I can safely say for all of us, and yes, that includes Sasuke, Sai and even Yamato; we don't want to see you getting hurt. Holding on to it without taking measures out of fear is dangerous, Sakura. As much as falling headfirst into a relationship with someone you don't really like all that much."

She lowered her head almost dejectedly. "I know..."

Rising, Kakashi walked around the table and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'll see if I have some biscuits for us. Hopefully, they're not expired."

Sakura smiled a little and stared at the paper sheet trying to recompose herself.


	5. v

Hello! I decided to upload this chapter today instead of last saturday as a little gift for all of you. Happy Valentine's! If you don't have a valentine of your own, then you can join me today and read tons of fanfiction of your otp. Who needs a significant other when you can fantasize about your favorite characters kissing?

Also, I promise Shika will make his appearance soon. In the mean time, enjoy my favorite scene of some sasusaku friendship here, because I'm a firm believer Sasuke isn't that much of an ass deep down

Enjoy!

* * *

 **v**

* * *

The chair was shoved back from the table and she slapped a pencil on the bright cover of the crossword puzzle magazine. Alone in the break room, Sakura set her forehead on the tabletop and groaned in frustration, wishing for a strong cup of black coffee or for the opportunity to sip on some alcoholic sweet drinks. It was going to be a long day, she could feel it already. It was barely ten in the morning when two men she recognized from the gym arrived, both sporting a broken leg each and bruised in various spots of their body. A brunette had brought then, her teacher from the muay thai classes she took every other day, and Sakura had to wonder how the woman could keep up with two... Vivacious and... Loud men every day.

She had never had so many problems with people and their broken bones as she had today. Sakura had seen kids that patiently sat still waiting for her to finish the cast, and kids that cried but let her do her work, but these two were relentless and would not stop coming up with competitions, yelling as they passed each other on the wheelchair from the x-ray room to another. Tsunade had come around eventually to reprimand them, but their silence did not last for long. With a consenting nod from Tenten, both were sedated.

Afterwards, there was a rush of kids with food poisoning that she had to check. She had yet to eat lunch, but found herself without appetite. Sakura wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse on her bed so she could sleep after a warm shower. If Naruto invited her over for dinner she would go, but otherwise would forego that meal as well.

"Sakura-chan?" A groan was the only reply she gave to the nurse calling from the doorway. Sakura felt like she could fall asleep as she was and only wake up next week. "Tsunade-sama needs you on surgery room 3 on the east wing."

If there was one thing that could get Sakura up on her feet again despite being so exhausted, it was an order from Tsunade, direct or not. Before the nurse even registered it, the pink haired woman had already brushed past her, headed for the designated wing in a brisk pace. Sakura knew well what that meant. The surgery room was close to the maternity ward, so it was likely that she would have to assist her boss and a mother to bring a child into the world. It was not an activity in which she enrolled often. Caring for babies and children was under her jurisdiction, but the birth process was usually left in the care of other medics.

Tsunade herself rarely was the lead medic when that happened, choosing instead to focus on more serious cases in the ICU, so if she was readying to assist someone in childbirth, then this person was most likely important.

She heard the distressed noises of the woman and her husband coming from inside the room before she entered the next door. Tsunade had a disposable mask and apron on, both consisting of a thin, faded sea green fabric that surely was not flattering. She scrubbed her hands vigorously as Sakura hid all her blonde hair beneath an ugly cap of the same material before returning to the cabinet to retrieve the same items for her as well.

Tsunade led the way to the adjoining room where a woman was writhing on top of a bed and a man was firmly clasping her hands, most likely returning the same iron grip in hopes his bones would hurt less. A fellow nurse had prepped everything and nodded at both women to signify that, easily falling into step as Tsunade barked orders at them.

It was a bloody, loud process, and Sakura was so absorbed in it that she did not pay attention to anything else. She assisted the blonde in whatever possible and checked the machines, whilst the other nurse wiped off the mother's face and spoke encouraging words. Tsunade was being as loud as their patient, telling her to breathe or push in firm, commanding tones that could drive anyone to tears.

The woman let out an enraged, loud screech and turned her head to her husband. "Don't tell me to be calm, Asuma!"

Sakura halted in what she was doing at the moment at the name mentioned. Tsunade snatched the towel away from her hands and the shrill cry of the baby was engulfed by the white noise that rang in her ears. Her feet stumbled back, bloodied gloves hands gripping the edge of a small cabinet where they kept some supplies. Her vision tilted and swam and her balance threatened to give out. The other nurse whom now she recognized as Suki brought their boss's attention to her, as well as the parents', and soon she was being ushered to the cleaning room they had been prior to that.

Tsunade tossed her gloves into the bin and tugged the mask away from her subordinate's face, washed her hands quickly and touched her wet palms to her face. "Sakura?" She called loudly and splashed more water on her face.

The younger woman gasped and tried to regain control of her breathing, beads of water dripping down her face to the tiled floor. She was panicking. Asuma. Asuma and Kurenai were there.

Shikamaru. He could be here at any moment, and she would not be able to hide anymore.

"I need some fresh air."

Tsunade did not stop her as she bolted for the door and ran down the hallway until she reached the stairs, but she had a feeling she would find out what happened soon enough.

* * *

Sakura waited outside the hospital's front doors. Bottom lip caught between her teeth, her heart was threatening to burst out her chest thanks to her incredibly high levels of anxiety. It had been completely unprofessional of her to do what she had done, but at the time, she did not have much control of her body. Tsunade inquired later once she was calm enough, though Sakura had her suspicions that she already knew, and the lecture that followed that could have been much, much worse. Her boss informed that someone would be coming to escort her to her apartment, because she did not trust Sakura walking home alone when she was obviously troubled.

Many nurses had come to check on her later, and gratefully none of them asked what it was. Some were always prone to feel nauseous at the sight of so much blood, so Sakura used that in her favor and said that it was her turn to feel sickened. They seemed to buy that; the quirked brow Shizune gave her as she asked for her well-being meant that she was aware that was not the truth, but still did not know everything behind it. Someday she would explain, but not today.

The cool air of the evening was good on her skin and seemed to soothe some of her worries. If before she was looking forward for a shower and a long night of sleep, then now all she wanted to do was pass out and awake only when Kurenai had her leave. The baby was healthy, she was told and for that she was glad, but beneath the contentment she felt as a doctor, laid a selfish feeling that it meant her chances of running into any of them was slimmer. A prolonged stay would only increase the chances, and Tsunade let her know she would not be looking after Kurenai and her little girl given her personal reasons.

She sighed and checked her phone. It had been about five minutes since her shift ended and most of the people she knew left their jobs around this time. Sakura hoped her boss had called Kakashi; he would bring one or all of his dogs and they would cheer her up. Or Yamato; she found his presence comforting and his choice of songs that played on his radio would help a lot. If Naruto showed up, then she might just return to the building for a graveyard shift. Sai and Sasuke, well... She did not think Tsunade would contact any of them.

"Sakura." She cringed and looked up from her shoes into dark eyes. Fifteen minutes had passed and it was Sasuke who had come pick her up. Magnificent.

His unexpressive eyes studied her face and he motioned for them to begin walking. They did not speak, passing by a multitude of people on the sidewalk and evading those who chose to walk their dogs at that time of the day. The traffic was rather slow and some cars honked in a futile attempt to get the automobiles at the front to move. The sun was sinking, the grey sky a dull background to tall buildings of neutral colors. Dark clouds filled the space overhead indicating rain and they picked up their pace to escape it, to no avail.

The pitter-patter of water slowly morphed into a steady rain and they disappeared into a blessedly empty coffee shop on the corner of the street. The smell of food reminded her of how hungry she actually was and the warmth of the place, from the yellowish lights to the actual temperature, made her bones seem heavier. Sasuke guided her to a round table on the back and sat down without a word. Sakura cursed his elegance in doing a mundane thing like that and dropped on a chair across from him, immediately shoving her face into her hands.

She heard footsteps approaching before they quickly went away. Either Sasuke had shot the person a dirty look or they had assumed that they were a couple discussing their relationship. She weaved her hands through her hair and tilted her head back with an aggravated groan, then snatched the menu on the center of the table as if everything was just peachy.

"What happened?" He asked eventually, more precisely when the rain began to fall harder outside.

More people were entering the coffee shop then. Her green eyes racked over the food choices unseeingly. "I assisted in childbirth today."

Sasuke picked up the other menu left and looked at it with disinterest. "And how was it any different from the previous five or so?"

She took a while to answer, glad that his eyes had their focus on the printed words still. "Shikamaru's teacher was the father."

He did look up then when her voice cracked. Sakura dropped the menu and turned to stare out the large window to her right, the rushing people trying to find cover doing little to distract her. Something bumped her arm and she looked down to see him pushing the booklet in her direction, urging her to pick something to eat.

"You can't run anymore, Sakura."

"I can, watch me."

He gave her a dry look, not much different from his usual expression, or lack of thereof, and set his palm on the tabletop. "You can't and I mean it. You're waiting for it to pass, but you're not letting go. It's your chance to find some closure in whatever form it may be."

Sakura sat, stunned, mouth agape, fingers so lax she dropped what she had been holding. "You... Did you just give me relationship advice? _Good_ relationship advice?"

The man across from her rolled his eyes and tried not to scowl. "You're so stubborn that I had to resort to that."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. Knowing you, you've probably been planning this line since that day in my apartment when you found out. And you know I'm most likely right."

"If you're right or not, it doesn't matter." His tone was flat and his eyes betrayed nothing. "You faced reality once, Sakura. You can do it again."

"But can I handle another rejection?" She did not mean it ill naturedly, and he saw that.

Their gazes held, steady. Sasuke broke it in favor of looking outside. "We know you're strong. And we know that you know it." He did not see as her eyes widened and glistened under the cozy lightning of the coffee shop. "If you can't handle it on your own, which we doubt, we'll be there for you, and you know that too."

Sakura tried to swallow past the lump in her throat and picked up the discarded booklet, opening on a random page and lifting it to block the view he had of her face. "Even Sai?"

He huffed and crossed his arms, face still turned away. "Even him. And Karin. She's been annoying me a lot lately asking about you. Told me to tell you to reach her if you need."

She let out a breathless chuckle and sniffed. Her nose was beginning to run and her eyes were impossibly wet. From beneath the booklet, she saw his hand sliding a handkerchief, his initials stitched in the corner in dark blue thread. Sakura picked it and dabbed at her eyes, still hidden behind the pages, letting the soft fabric soak her tears. Once she was mildly feeling like herself again, she lowered the menu and waited until he looked at her again. His gaze softened in the slightest before the display of emotion disappeared without leaving behind any trace. Sasuke motioned for a waiter and ordered for the both of them, knowing her tastes well enough by now.

Sakura gave him a grateful smile and pocketed the handkerchief. She truly had the best friends.

* * *

The maternity ward was like a forbidden place for her, not that Tsunade or Shizune had said she should not step foot there, but Sakura herself decided to avoid the place. She did not want to risk running into anyone there. She was sure it would only be a matter of time until Ino came to visit Kurenai and as much as she would like to catch up, Sakura was not ready to talk to any of them when the conversation could steer towards Shikamaru.

Sasuke was right, of course, that much she could admit, but it would take her a while to find enough courage to either face them or let go, and right now, she did not even know what path she should follow. Asking for opinions would not help much; she needed to reach a conclusion on her own.

The kids in the playroom cheered as she entered, and the lines that marred her face smoothed out until she was smiling brightly at them. She greeted each one individually and made small talk as they lined up to show her their drawings and things they had built with plastic blocks. Some asked for hugs or climbed onto her back for short piggyback rides. Her visits were brief and she was trying to clear up some time on her schedule to spend an hour with them reading stories or just playing.

The attention they were giving her diverted to the door when it opened again and some of them ran over to the newcomer. "Hinata-san." The dark haired woman smiled at the doctor and greeted the nurse that was always present in the playroom looking after the kids and checking their IVs. "It's so nice to see you again."

"Sakura-san." She greeted with a polite bow of her head and crouched to receive a group hug from the children. "I came to visit a friend and decided to come by."

"A friend?" Sakura detangled the arms wrapped around her neck and lowered the child to the ground, only to have another one take its place. "What happened?"

Hinata shook her head slightly and picked up a little girl and her small teddy bear in her arms. "She gave birth to her daughter, a sweet little girl called Mirai. I brought some flowers."

She nodded solemnly and chose not to delve into the topic. It seemed everyone knew each other, like the soap opera that played on the tv of the break room a few days back. Hinata knew Kurenai who was married to Asuma and thus knew the trio she met at the beach. The couple was friends with Kakashi that "knew" Yamato for a long time and introduced Sai to Naruto and Sakura, who was acquainted with the two men from the gym that were admitted into the hospital and later visited by Hinata's cousin. She was sure the other people she did not think of were somehow connected to them as well. It was a small world indeed.

Sakura ruffled the brown hair of a young boy sitting on a beanbag. "These kids need some joy in their daily lives here in the hospital. I'm sure they're happy that you come see them, Hinata-san."

The other woman flushed slightly. "It must be hard for them. If I can use my time to make it a little better, then I don't mind spending less time at home doing nothing productive."

She grinned slightly and began kissing goodbye each of the kids on the forehead. "I wish more people would have that mindset." Once she was done, she gave her a tight side hug. "That friend of yours... Kiba, was it? Please, tell him that I spoke to Tsunade-sama and she's willing to consider the idea of having therapy dogs."

Her pale eyes brightened up and a large smile appeared on her face. "That's wonderful, Sakura-san! His mother will like to hear the news. I'll be sure to tell them that as soon as I leave."

With another grateful hug, Sakura bid her goodbye and returned to her duties.


	6. vi

Hmmm I was feeling too lazy to post this. I spent the day lying in bed because I had/have no energy whatsoever, but at this point, you guys deserve this. So here it is. Say hi to Shika for me.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **vi**

* * *

Between going out and having people over for snacks and drinks, Sasuke would pick the latter, unless he had a chance to say no and stay at home relaxing. This behavior frustrated Sakura and Naruto many times in the past and continued to do so, although now they would drag him out against his will regardless and make fun of him for sulking like a petulant child. He was not very social, it was in his nature; his brother was only slightly better and he guessed it was because he took after their mother.

Sasuke did not have much time to protest when Naruto kicked open the bathroom door just after he had showered and tried to drag him out of the apartment with only a measly towel covering his body for a walk in the mall. It took a short argument to get the blonde to realize he was trying to shove his naked boyfriend into the hallway, and Sasuke gave him the finger from over his shoulder as he stalked back to their bedroom and chose to ignore Naruto's appreciative comments.

It was raining again and Sasuke was willing to let him invite Kakashi, Sakura and whoever else over if it meant Naruto would quench his thirst for socialization and he would not have to leave the building. He voiced his thoughts and to his pleasure, Naruto agreed with that, but said they would have to go mall.

"Sai's birthday is coming up."

"So what?" He asked as Naruto pushed him towards the door. "He's your friend, not mine."

Naruto patted him amicably on the shoulder. "You keep telling yourself that and maybe someday it'll sound convincing."

He drove them there and somehow they managed to find a vacant space on the underground parking lot. Music played in the background as voices of different tones and pitches mingled, and Sasuke silently followed his partner around the first floor as he studied items on the display windows and tried to find a good gift. It would be a matter of time until Naruto announced defeat and would call Sakura to ask for directions and tips, because he hardly ever picked something on his own.

They found a shop selling art supplies and the blonde eagerly dove in, proclaiming to the man tailing him that Sai was an artist and thus always needed paints, colored pencils and such. He had not expected that there would be so many brands and many products for specific things. Sasuke could practically see the question marks hovering above his unruly hair as the salesclerk showed him the different things on the shelves and gave him a basic description. Naruto mentioned he would need some time to think and tried to sneak away into a corner of the shop, taking his phone from his pocket and sticking his tongue out at Sasuke when he caught him staring with a knowing look on his face.

Naruto stayed the entire time on the phone with Sakura, repeating her questions to the clerk and relaying his answers to her, until she said that a watercolor set would be a good gift for Sai. The blonde sauntered over to the cashier with the rectangular box in his hands and lifted the wrapped gift to his eyelevel once they were out the shop, blue eyes glistening with pride.

He whipped his face to the man standing beside him. "You should get him a gift too, you bastard."

"I already have." He motioned for the plastic bag he was holding.

"What! When did you get that?"

"While you were crying to Sakura that you're helpless and can't do anything on your own." Sasuke did not understand much about art, but some inking pens sounded like something that was useful.

Naruto looked him up and down dubiously, but chose to say nothing about that. "I think I'm going to get myself an ice cream. Would you like something?"

Sasuke looked at the establishment Naruto had pointed with his thumb, a long line of people waiting to order, and shook his head. He wanted some coffee and decided to get himself a cup and then meet him back here when he was done. They separated ways and walked to opposite directions of the floor. The staff was beginning to set up holiday decorations. Already, some string lights were set around pillars and a big tree was set in the atrium, equally big gifts set at the base and surrounded by a train track for kids.

He stepped up to the counter and ordered his drink, spelling out his name to the attendant and ignoring the dreamy looks she was giving him. The cup was handed to him rather quickly and he took his first sip as he glanced at his wrist watch and came to the conclusion that they would have to order something if they did really invite the rest of the group over. If they were to prepare something from scratch, it would take too long. Besides, he did not really feel like washing and drying dishes tonight. He would be up to eating Naruto's hideous instant ramen if it meant he would not have to exert too much energy.

Dark eyes looked up and studied the person standing outside a shop that was bustling with women inside. The man was far from pleased and staring at nothing in particular, but Sasuke felt like he was somewhat... Familiar. He took in his features, the frown on his face, the slight slouch of his shoulders, his crossed arms and shoulder length hair. Another drink from his coffee and he debated the possibilities in his head. The man tugged at a hairband around his wrist and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

He took measured steps towards the figure, drank the rest of the coffee in one go and tossed the empty cup in a nearby bin. "Are you Shikamaru?"

Brown eyes moved up to meet his own. If the man seemed bored before, now he appeared to be slightly annoyed. "Yes. You are?"

"Sasuke."

Recognition flitted across his face and his arms dropped to his side, spine straightening. That was a good sign. If he recognized the name, then it meant he remembered.

"I see." He said slowly, gaze searching the area around them for something, someone. "So, what brings you–"

"I want to know if you have any intention of trying to contact Sakura."

Shikamaru froze. His hands slipped inside the pocket of his jacket; with that simple gesture, he was on the defensive. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Fingers combed through dark hair and the man sighed. "Listen, I don't know how that's of your concern."

"Too bad it is."

"Oh, why? Are you scouting the area to make sure you can finally make a move on her?"

Sasuke realized he did not like this man, not his tone dripping with sarcasm, not the way he sneered as he spoke that last sentence, and by the looks of it, the feeling was mutual. "Don't be stupid." His own voice remained emotionless and steady throughout the entire exchange. It seemed it was only grating on his nerves. "If I had been planning to do that, I wouldn't have bothered to acknowledge you and remind you of her existence. Who is in the shop?"

"What?"

"I want to know if I have to knock on my neighbor's door when I get home and tell her to give up hope." For the first time, some hostility slipped into his tone, and then he repeated the question slowly, enunciating every word. "Who is in that shop?"

Shikamaru tensed and then sagged his shoulders in defeat. "It's my friend. She's dating my best friend and he couldn't come, and someone has to carry her bags, a.k.a. me. Are you satisfied?"

Sasuke studied him in silence. He was maybe one or two inches taller than Shikamaru, and the man had gone back to looking at the exact spot that had his attention previously. He had to confess he did not know what to do now. He had never thought he would ever meet him, much less confront him, and now that he was aware he was not here with a romantic interest, Sasuke was at a loss. Should he keep interrogating him? Should he just leave without saying anything? Could he somehow help Sakura get out of her impasse? Damn her for making all of them so overprotective. If he had minded his own business like he used to do a few years back, this would not be happening. He would not have found out about Shikamaru in the first place, and would not have taken the time to talk to her that evening.

That brief conversation had lifted a weight from her shoulder, though.

Frowning briefly, Sasuke turned towards the direction he came from, spotting a blonde head moving towards the rendezvous spot. "Alpha Building, 12th street, southern district. Sixth floor, number three." From his peripheral vision, he saw Shikamaru face him again. "You know where to find her now."

Without a word more, he went back to the art supply shop. If Shikamaru chose not to contact her now, then it was a hopeless cause. Sasuke would not say that to anyone, not Sakura, not Kakashi. He did not think he could ever tell her that he had given him her address and he chose not to come if it came to that. All he could do was be there for her if she needed.

Naruto had consumed half of the milkshake he bought by the time they met and looped his arm through his to drag him back to the parking lot.

* * *

Sai's apartment consisted of a common area for the kitchen, living and dining rooms, plus a separated bedroom and a bathroom. He forewent the dining table in favor of using the space by the balcony to make a studio space for himself, mostly because the lightning there was good. As result, guests either ate their meals on the counter or balanced their plates on their laps and took seats on the couch and armchair; no one really minded.

Ink and paint permeated the air. Paintings and framed drawings of different sizes filled most of one of the walls of the living room whilst sketchbooks filled the shelves, each one with a date written on the spine so he could keep easy track of his progress. Potted plants were slowly occupying more and more space, most of which hung from the ceiling by the glass doors that led to the small balcony. It was an organized sort of mess that made his apartment seem smaller than it actually was, but at the same time, it was homely.

Kakashi and Yamato sat closely on the couch, despite the fact that there was enough space for three people to sit comfortably. Everyone pretended not to see Kakashi's hand on Yamato's thigh, having decided long ago to leave them alone until the moment they chose they were ready to announce their relationship to them. Sasuke sat to Kakashi's left with at least a foot of space between them, Sakura perched by his side on the armrest, Naruto on the floor in the space between their legs. Sometimes, he would poke the underside of her foot and laugh when her toes wiggled, and then wince when she drove her heel onto his side. Sai occupied the armchair, and the yellow cockatiel he owned was walking on the gifts set on the coffee table and nibbling at the colorful ribbons.

He reached for the first gift: a bonsai tree. "These require a bit of attention." Kakashi explained calmly, eyes smiling. "But I figured you could use more plants."

Sai let out a soft chuckle and lifted the box to read the imprints. "Considering you've given me all the plants I own, I can tell that." He did not recognize the name and made a mental note to check it on the internet later. Inside the packaging was a manual that would help him keep the tree healthy and alive.

Setting it down, he reached for another gift. The contents inside were only one third revealed when Naruto lifted a hand like an enthusiastic student that knew the answer to a question. "That one's mine!"

The artist flashed him a smile and checked the shades of the watercolor paints. "I was trying to find a good ochre shade." He tapped a fingertip beside a specific square. "Thanks, Naruto. Now I can finish a painting."

Naruto puffed out his chest and scratched the back of his head, torn between pride and abashment. Sai unraveled the ribbon from around another gift and retrieved a box from inside, opening it to find a button down shirt that he unfolded for everyone else to see. It was of a beautiful dark blue shade, and he immediately looked at Sakura. "It's for you to use when you exhibit your work on the gallery next summer."

He shook his head at her large grin and replied humorously. "But I don't even know if I'll get the chance."

"I know you will." Naruto nodded his head vigorously in agreement, and Sai's pale face colored slightly.

A rectangular case was hidden within a bright silver packaging, six ink pens of different tip types and ink flow. Sai brought it closer to his face to analyze them better and then turned to Sasuke. "These are great. Thank you." Sasuke only nodded in reply.

The last gift was obviously from Yamato. Phoenix was playing with a green ribbon and then turned to a red one, and on it went, its little paws walking all over the wrappings. "New lenses for my camera." His hands dealt with the objects with a certain care that was not usual to see. "Thanks, dad."

Sakura smiled and pressed her knuckles to her mouth. It was the first time they heard that.

* * *

The weather was getting colder as days passed and Sakura could have spent her Saturday inside her home under the blankets playing games with Naruto while Sasuke was being himself in the corner sipping coffee and watching the news as if he found them mildly interesting, but Yamato had been adamant that she go with him somewhere. His car was already there by the time she reached the ground floor and she quickly ducked into the vehicle, unraveling her scarf just a little as the warm air of the heater touched her face.

Although she asked, Yamato did not grace her with a concrete answer as he drove them through familiar streets. Soon they were parked outside Kakashi's apartment building and Sakura tried to mask her surprise as well as her thoughts. Were they finally going to expose the "secret" relationship they had? Was she the chosen one to know of it first? She quietly thanked him as he opened the door to the lobby and climbed up sets of stairs until they reached the third floor.

Kakashi's bare face greeted them and he opened the door wider to let them into his home. Sakura walked until she was by the couch and crouched to greet the dogs that came rushing to her, tails wagging and tongues lolling on the side of their mouths. She thought she saw them kiss quickly in greeting, but could not be sure.

"Sakura." She glanced at Yamato as Kakashi disappeared into the kitchen to tend to the kettle on the stove. "We came here to get your gift."

The medic blinked in surprise. "Gift?" Yes, the holidays were just around the corner, but she could not understand why they were here to get her gift.

"Yes," he replied with a chuckle, as if it was obvious.

Frowning, she returned her attention to the dogs and continued to pet them. Pakkun was there, and so was Akihiro, Hayate, Mamoru, Tadao and Yasuo. "Wait a second." Her frown deepened. "Where's Aika?"

Saying the name of the only female of the group prompted her to hear an extra set of paws coming from the hallway that led to Kakashi's bedroom. Soon, the brown dog with fluffy fur showed herself and trotted over to Sakura, her gait slow and relaxed, tail wagging slowly. Behind her, three smaller figures followed.

The shriek that came from Sakura at the sight of the puppies caused Yamato to flinch slightly. She sat on the floor as they climbed onto her legs and bit at her fingers, the little adorable noises they made got her with tears in her eyes. Two of them were of a chocolate brown whilst the other was of a lighter color with two large spots of the same shade as the other. She did not know which one to give attention to and resorted to letting them have their fun while she struggled not to squash them all to her chest because they were all so cute.

"So, Sakura." Kakashi was leaning against the wall with a mug in his hand. "Pick one."

* * *

Sai made himself comfortable in Sakura's couch, sketchbook in hand as he doodled the puppies playing on the rug. They were taking turns in watching the dogs since they were so young, and because it was his day off, he did not mind staying inside to do that. Phoenix was slowly getting used to them, but would still rather stay perched around Sai and not risk being used as toy by the energetic puppies. They growled as they tackled each other and tugged at ears and tails, and then ran a lap around the coffee table, tripping on their own paws.

By popular demand, which actually meant Naruto and Sakura and Sai going along with that just fine, all of the dogs were named after dessert. Sasuke was very displeased when he realized he would have to call for Fudge if he ever went out with it for a walk, but the rest found it amusing. Sakura was the proud owner of Cookie, the female spotted one, while Sai now had little Brownie to look after, and Naruto and Sasuke had taken in the only male of the litter.

He turned the page and not for the first time, inspected the pens he got from Sasuke. These were actually good. He would have to keep the case around so he could remember the brand name and get new ones once those ran out of ink, and considering they were pretty much all he used lately, it would be happening sooner than he expected.

The doorbell rang just as he was about to drink the tea that had long ago gone cold. Setting everything on the middle of the coffee table so that none of the puppies could reach the items, Sai dragged his feet towards the door as the sight of his sock-clad feet caught the attention of the pets and they began nipping at his feet. Phoenix lifted his head as he awakened from his slumber and shook its feathers before walking closer to the crook of Sai's neck where it was warmer.

Gently pushing the puppies back with his feet, he opened the door and froze.

"Sai?"

The shocked voice of the visitor snapped him back to reality. "Sh... Shikamaru."

They stared at each other for a long time, silent. Shikamaru's shock dissipated and he concealed his troubled thoughts rather quickly, only allowing the artist to catch a brief glimpse of them. Sai wondered if the weird feeling inside his chest was what people would call anxiety or even panic; what would he do now that Shikamaru was here but Sakura was not? How did he find out where she lived in the first place?

"I haven't seen you in forever." Sai found himself saying and was surprised with himself that he managed to push past the silence. "Do you want to come in?"

"No, I... I don't want to be a bother." They both looked down as a growl caught their attention, only to see Brownie tugging at shoelaces. Sai sighed and reached towards the dog. "You... Have dogs?"

"Yeah, I'm babysitting until everyone comes from work and then I'll go home." He shooed the puppy back inside, smiling a little as it went rushing towards her siblings and jumped on an unsuspecting Cookie. "We're waiting for one of the apartments here to go vacant so I can move and be near everyone else."

Shikamaru was intently watching the dogs behind him when Sai stood up and the cockatiel entered his line of sight. "You're not living with Sakura?"

He shook his head. "She mentioned once that I could be her roommate, but I own too many canvases and other stuff, I'd need an apartment of my own."

The man across from him was silent for a moment, a concentrated expression on his face as he set his narrowed eyes on the doorjamb and frowned his lips. "So you're not together then?"

Sai blinked, surprised, then laughed. "I thought I just said I need my own place."

Shikamaru appeared almost relieved at the words that came from him. For the first time since he arrived, his lips curved in a smile and his body seemed to relax completely.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" He asked again. "Sakura will be here in a few hours."

"Where is she now?"

"The hospital." Sai reached to cover his ear as Phoenix found that it was a good time to start pecking the skin there. "She's in the afternoon shift today, taking care of emergencies."

Shikamaru nodded. He was a bit paler than before, Sai thought, maybe because months had passed since the beach and all the tan was gone. He had been prone to keeping his face in that default bored expression of his unless something happened that made him laugh or frown in annoyance.

"Sai." He started slowly. Dark eyes snapped to his face, and he set his lips in a firm line. "Can you do me a favor?"


	7. vii

Heello!

Guys, we've come a long way. I'd like to thank every single one that read, commented, favorited, and supoprted me. I'm going to mark it as complete for now, and someday I'll pick this back up to add Shika's pov. When, I'm not sure. Sadly, I don't think I'll participate in shikasaku week 2018, at least not on the official days.

We'll see each other again at some point!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **vii**

* * *

The wristwatch she shoved back inside the pocket of her lab coat let her know that there were ten minutes left until she could go home. Sakura would much rather take the morning shift, wake up early and work through morning and afternoon so she could have the night to herself. Working after lunch until way past dinnertime messed up her schedule, but it was much better than graveyard shifts. Much, much better.

Sakura tried to conceal a yawn, bored as she was of the tv show playing in the staff room in the emergency wing. Thankfully, as the day came to an end, the number of people that were admitted into emergency diminished, few ambulances were dispatched and the slow flow allowed her to cool down and prepare for the bed that was waiting for her back home. She was so going to call Naruto to come pick her up so she would not have to walk to their building, and he was not going to complain much because he did not like the idea of her walking alone at night.

Stretching her arms, she tried to focus on anything other than the ticking of the clock on the wall. The less she concentrated on the time, the faster it would pass and soon she would be walking through the doors of the hospital ready to have her day off and then jump back to the morning shift. Cookie would like to have her there for an entire day of lounging and playing.

Brisk footsteps sounded in the hallway and she lifted her gaze to the clock. Six minutes left. "Sakura-san."

She stifled a groan and stood up, hands on the tabletop as if she were too tired to get up on her own, chair scrapping on the floor. The nurse gave her an apologetic smile and explained the situation of her last patient of the night, hopefully. Given the vague explanation the man gave her, Sakura could only hope he was not one of those drunk fools that got into bar fights and were still too intoxicated to be helpful.

With a roll of her shoulders, she entered the designated room, noting from the corner of her eye that he was studying the informative posters about heart diseases on the wall. "Good evening." The file cabinet across from the door was her destination. She opened it to get a blank sheet to fill up with his personal information and retrieved a pen from her pocket, fingers brushing the wrist watch. Five minutes left, maybe.

"First, I want to know what happened." Back turned to him, Sakura found a clipboard and smiled in triumph. Now she was good to go.

"I was punched in the face."

She tried not to roll her eyes; that much she knew already. Whirling around on her heels, she opened her mouth of speak and let go of the objects in her hands.

In hindsight, Sakura should have recognized the voice. She had been fantasizing of the day she would get to hear it again, trying desperately to hold onto the memory and keep it as faithful to the real thing as possible. She realized she was shaking, or close to that point. Her chest felt like it could implode at any minute, her mind blank as she tried to draw events that led up to this moment.

On the other side of the room, Shikamaru stood with a sort of nonchalance that could not be found in anyone that sported an ugly bruise on their cheek and a split lip. Hands in his pockets, he gazed at her calmly as if he had known all along that this was where he would find her, eyes as guarded as she remembered.

Sakura took a step back and braced her weight against the cabinet, palms flat on the metallic surface as she breathed through her mouth and tried to get a hold of herself. Then, her medic persona seemed to kick into place and override the feelings of confusion, fear and hope she felt warring inside her, squashing them until they were barely noticeable and she was sober enough to walk over to him and take a gentle hold of his face.

She observed his injuries with an analytical eye, careful not to touch anything so he would not feel any pain. Her brain did not register that it had been months since she last touched him, nor that she only had three and a half minutes left to go home.

"What happened?" Sakura asked again, lifting a finger in his line of sight as pre warning that she was about to probe the purple skin of his face.

He winced. "Sai punched me."

Her mind came to a screeching halt and her fingers left him as if he had burned her somehow. "What!"

Shikamaru wrapped his hands around her wrists and slowly lowered her arms to the space between them, never letting go. "Actually, he slapped me. I asked him to hit me, but that wasn't enough."

"Why–"

"And then Naruto and Sasuke arrived. They saw everything." He went on as if she had never tried to interrupt him. There was not a trace of humor on his voice or face. He was speaking the truth. "Naruto was pissed. He wouldn't stop shouting and I still don't know how your neighbors didn't come to check what was going on."

"What are you talking about!?" Sakura was growing agitated. She wanted explanations and she wanted them now. Her hands twitched and he tightened his hold in response. "How can this be the result of a slap?"

He released one of her wrists to touch at the dried blood on his chin. "Sasuke punched me afterwards."

First Sai, now Sasuke. Sakura tugged her other arm free and walked away from him, hair in her hands, pulling at the pink locks tightly. She had to refrain herself from crouching in one corner of the room to let out a yell of frustration. This was not how she wanted their reunion to go! She had never once thought that any of her friends would resort to violence, especially given that it was not Shikamaru's fault that she had not met him sooner. How could anyone ever guess that Sai would harm him in any way? He had seemed so willing to tell her if he ever came across the group. Sasuke was a bit fed up with the entire thing, but it was not like she had believed he would do that.

Sakura picked the discarded clipboard to fan herself, only to set it on the table when she realized her hands were too unsteady. She hid one of them in her armpit and pressed the other fist to her mouth, foot tapping on the floor in hopes that it would be enough to drive her anxiety away. Palms settled on her shoulders and she opened her eyes to find Shikamaru looking at her, neutral expression gone, eyes shining with concern.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "I met Sasuke in the mall a while ago. I don't know how he knew it was me, but he came over and we... Had a talk. He gave me your address." She blinked and tried to make sense out of it, but her thoughts were too jumbled. "I finally went there today after much insistence from Ino and Choji, mostly Ino. Sai was there and I knew that I had used all my courage to go to your apartment. I had nothing left that would get me here."

"You..." She began after a minute of silence. "You asked him to punch you."

"Yes."

"Why!?"

Shikamaru had the nerve of sounding annoyed in that moment. "I think I told you already."

"I know you used the injury as an excuse to come here." She bristled, hands now curled into fists and shaking by her sides. "But a punch? Seriously? Ino told me you're a genius and you do this – this pretty stupid thing if you ask me! "

"It was a decision made in the heat of the moment." His shoulders sagged and his palms went down along the length of her arms. "After we'd explained why Sai slapped me, Sasuke punched me for being an asshole. Not that he said it, Naruto did, but I'm sure the feeling was mutual."

Sakura touched her fingertips to her brow, hid her face in her palms, and let out a weary chuckle as her hands dropped back down and she smiled at him. "I think they can read each other's minds, too."

He smiled at her, his features softening, making her heart swell with affection. Her hand searched for the closest drawer and she pulled out a packet of baby wipes, using one of the scented tissues to clean his skin gently. He was warm beneath her fingers, head tilted into her touch, eyelids slipping closed as he sighed at her ministrations. She wanted to kiss him, badly. She wanted it to be hard and aggressive, then slow and sensual. Sakura wanted to place small kisses all over his face and wanted to hold him and never let him go. He was finally here and if it were not for his breathing that fanned her wrist, she would have believed that it was a dream that graced her during a nap in the staff room.

"I don't think there's much I can do for you. It'll heal on its own."

His eyes opened, brown and more beautiful than she remembered. "You can give me your phone and then let me drive you home."

Sakura smiled, leaned up to kiss the uninjured side of his mouth. "I'd like that."

* * *

Shikamaru did not think Ino had ever been this loud before. Raising her voice was no new concept to her, but she had never gotten to this point before. He also could not recall if Sakura could match Ino's intensity, yet there they were, squealing in the middle of the food court and attracting a lot of stares from the people around them. At least, they were by the sidelines and could easily pretend they did not know them to avoid some embarrassment. He chose not to complain aloud, but did stick a finger in his ear as he usually did when the blonde started nagging at him.

Choji, noticing this, chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "It's only the first time they met. There are many more days like this to come."

"It's the second time I get to talk personally to Sakura, and I had the brilliant idea of sacrificing some alone time with her to make Ino happy."

"You've been making a lot of questionable decisions lately." He eyed the healing bruise on his friend's face, and Shikamaru turned his head away with a click of his tongue. "She was wondering why you'd invited her to the mall. She had hopes that you were finally going to buy her something out of your own free will."

Shikamaru scoffed. "Oh, please. If she had interest in food, I'd buy her, but she only thinks about designer clothes."

"That's true."

"Besides, now I have someone of my own to spoil." He smirked slightly at his best friend, as much as his injured lip would let him, and returned his gaze to the women still hugging and flailing some feet away. "You're on your own now, buddy."

"You? Spoiling someone?" Choji inquired with a raised brow, a bemused smile twisting his lips. "I didn't think I'd live to see that day."

Shikamaru chose not to say that he, too, did not think the day would ever come.

"I can handle Ino if it means you're happy, though." His friend's affectionate gaze landed on the blonde that had launched herself in an avid conversation with the pink haired woman. "Are you happy?"

He turned his head to look at him. Shikamaru very rarely displayed his emotions openly and so Choji figured that, if he was smiling like that without a trace of a frown on his face, with his body relaxed as it was, willing to go some time without complaining about Ino being troublesome, then yes, he was truly happy. It had been a while since Shikamaru last was this easy-going.

They had been worried after the fiasco with his ex that Shikamaru would never let himself feel attracted to anyone ever again. And then the worry returned on their last day at the hotel when Sakura and her group had left and no one woke him up because none of them had thought he would make a move, much less on the last night they had there. Trying to find her was an adventure on its own and trying to get him to ask Asuma for contacts was an even bigger quest. He refused to accept any kind of help from them and did his search on his own, trying to be as discreet about is as humanly possible.

When the day came for them to visit Asuma, Kurenai and their newborn baby in the hospital, both adults were oddly tense. They chalked it up to weariness. Kurenai was only half-awake when they got there and Asuma seemed like he had not gotten a wink of sleep in the last two days. It was only when he got Shikamaru to run an easy errand for him that they revealed to the younger couple that Sakura worked in that hospital, and no one knew what to do with that information. Shikamaru had kept quiet about it, so they were not sure if he still wanted to find her and pick up from where they left off.

Choji had been close enough to see Shikamaru refuse one or two offers to go on dates in favor of spending his idle time by himself in his apartment. Sure, him turning down girls was nothing new, but knowing that he avoided the topic of Sakura or the beach altogether got them all feeling a bit suspicious.

He looked away when his friend gave one of the approaching women one of the largest smiles he had seen. Finally, things were starting to look up.

* * *

Sakura smiled into her drink as Karin nudged her ribs with her elbow, wagging her eyebrows with a sly smile on her lips. "So that's your mystery boy."

"Shush, Karin, you'll make me red in the face."

"Like you'd need any help to achieve that." She pushed her away slightly. "You've been all pink ever since you two arrived hand in hand."

Suigetsu had organized another meet up in their favorite bar and it was a good opportunity to introduce Shikamaru to the group, as well as add him, Ino and Choji to their friendship circle. Sakura and Karin sat close to one another as they men occupied the rest of the table and teased the newcomer to no end, Naruto occasionally throwing threats in between jokes. The other couple had yet to arrive and meanwhile Karin was trying to get her to spill the beans.

"I'm really happy you found him, y'know." She confessed in a lower tone, leaning onto her friend as she picked at her nails to pretend they were not talking about someone of their group. "Last time you wouldn't stand still checking your phone all the time."

"He found me," Sakura replied softly, twirling her glass to watch the colored liquid swirl. "Like I had hoped he would. I could've asked Kakashi for help, but didn't."

Karin shrugged as best as she could in their current position. "The universe has a funny way of making things work. Maybe you two needed this time apart to learn a few things."

Sakura figured she could have a point and tried to find what had changed in the months between separation and reunion. She settled well in her job, got much closer to Sai than she had ever expected, got a dog, met new people, made a few new friends, and surprisingly had a few heartfelt conversations with Sasuke of all people. That was not to say she did not experience bad times or had to deal with negative feelings, but those helped her grow in some way. She wondered what Shikamaru had been up to all this time.

The bar was lively that night with upbeat songs playing, actually good songs that she could sing along if she wanted. The redhead straightened in her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly, keeping an eye on a small vacant table that no one had seemed to notice yet. Sakura stood up to wave at the two people that had just arrived, and Karin sprung to her feet.

After a very brief introduction, she grabbed both Ino and Sakura and steered them away from the table full of men so they could get to know each other better, and by the looks of it, the girls seemed to like her idea.

* * *

It was not their first date, but it was the first time he came over to her apartment for dinner. Naruto as usual had opposed to the idea and she could feel that Sasuke silently agreed with him, but one evil glare from her and a twitch of her finger was enough to get them to stay in their lanes. Just when she thought she could count on Sasuke to side with her, he went and sided with his boyfriend instead. Damn overprotective friends. Even Sai was beginning to act funny. Kakashi had yet to say anything that would leave her mortified and, thankfully, Yamato was the only sensible one that did not stick his nose in other people's business. She knew they all meant well, but it was not like Shikamaru was a complete stranger and she was defenseless.

She sat on the counter of her kitchen after their meal, left the dishes in the sink to wash later upon his request. He had brought some ingredients for the food they cooked together and the wine he had picked was one of the best she had ever had. She felt a bit fuzzy, and when he presented her a box of chocolates, the feeling intensified. The pieces melted on her tongue, and they spoke quietly in between bites, laughing softly ever so often.

This was very nice. Sakura had not thought much about what would happen after they met again, partly because she did not dare to hope and fantasize about something uncertain, despite the fact that she did when she got too distracted, but mostly because her biggest wish was to simply find him again. At first, she had been afraid he would be the likes of Sasuke that did not display affection often, but he was nowhere close to that. He held her hand, kissed her in public, wrapped an arm around her shoulders or her waist and stood close to her whenever they stopped walking for a reason or another. He did not pop food in her mouth as he was doing now with the sweet treats, something she believed he found too intimate perhaps, but he never masked any of his feelings for her.

Shikamaru pushed away from where he was leaning against the counter to stand before her, hands on her knees. The bruise on his face had healed nicely and so did his lips. She was happy to say that she got the chance to kiss his mouth many times after the wound closed, especially to make up for the time in which she wanted him to kiss her senseless, but was afraid to hurt him in the process.

Her legs parted to let him step closer, her tongue darting across her bottom lip to lick away some chocolate and anticipation. His narrow eyes followed the movement, slowly dragging up to meet her gaze, and he cupped one side of her face. Her heart was thrumming in her chest and her legs tightened around his waist, begging him to come closer. He complied with a quirk of his lips and angled her head delicately, bringing his mouth to her own and slanting his lips deliciously across hers. When his hands brushed her thighs, she sighed, and when his fingers dug into her hips, she whimpered.

They knew it was that sound she made that prompted a change in pace. His tongue dove into her mouth and she held onto his shoulders, let him pull them as close as possible, let herself be leaned back as he claimed dominance. Callused fingertips travelled over her sides beneath the shirt and she pulled away with a gasp, her own fingers lost in his hair that had been let loose at some point without them ever knowing.

His eyes opened slowly, breath fanning across the flushed skin of her cheek as he tilted his head to whisper in her ear. "You are... The best troublesome thing in my life." Sakura felt herself melt at the same time something tightened within her, low in her abdomen. "I should've come to you sooner."

"The universe has a funny way of making things work." She recited Karin's words that sounded so far away in her head, a distant echo in the haze that was her mind filled to the brim with Shikamaru and the things he made her feel. "You're here now."

He gave her a lingering kiss on the lips, "I'm here now," and pulled back, gathering her in his arms.

Sakura squealed and held onto him, legs locking in place as his hands gripped her ass and he maneuvered them clumsily through her apartment. She laughed as she kissed him, barely stopping to reach behind her and open the door of her bedroom. Her back connected to the mattress of her bed and Shikamaru easily claimed his place above her, set between her legs with his hips on hers applying pressure with slow dips.

He kissed the skin of her shoulders, she squirmed beneath him. Her nails travelled down his back and grazed his skin as she lifted the shirt off his body. His lips found her bare collarbone, and Sakura lifted her hips when he hooked his thumbs on the waistband of her shorts.

Shikamaru pulled back to caress her lips with his own, gentle, tender, his strong arms supporting his weight on either side of her head. "We've got some catching up to do."

She smiled. It was hard to breathe whenever her bare chest rose and touched his. He was so, so warm and so _hard_ that her mouth went dry. "Don't rush it." A sigh interlaced with a moan left her when he shifted, her legs falling open as far as they could go. "Make it last."


End file.
